Jak and Daxter: Schism
by LunaLucrea
Summary: Set after Jak 3. What happens in one timeline, isn't necessarily what happens in another. When all goes wrong in a parallel timeline, rifts begin to open, old enemies return, and the world begins to crash. It doesn't help that Jak is struggling with the diminishing amount of Light Eco, and the return of someone who he thought he'd never see again.
1. Prologue

**Authors note: **I know I'm a little late to the Jak and Daxter fanfic scene... but I've had an itch to write this for years... and have been replaying the games.

This is my first fan-fiction in a very, very, long time. It's also my first Jak fan fiction ever, so if there's anyone still out there to read it, I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you see any problems.

This takes place after Jak 3, by about two years. I've never played Jak X, and for the purpose of this particular Fic, I'm going to pretend it doesn't exist.

* * *

Prologue

Damas shook with rage. Every single fiber of his being wanted to scream. To scream at Erol and Veger, or at that damned green sage who said nothing could be done. To scream at the sky, and those worthless Precursors who seemed to have doomed them all with their shortsightedness. To scream at the young warrior in his arms, laying in a pool of his own blood. The warrior who died saving the same people who condemned and tortured him.  
The young warrior who had just been revealed as his very own son. Mar.

"Mar..." Damas breathed, touching the teens face. It was so very cold.  
Damas looked to the sky, just as the sage placed a careful hand on his shoulder. He cursed. Nothing could save their world now. The sky was falling, and the planet crumbled beneath them. He looked back down, and white, hot anger welled up once again. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered to him now.

The last Precursor looked up at the king, a sad, hopeless look in his eyes. His power was gone, and he could do nothing to save this corrupted world any longer, "This was never meant to happen. Things went so off course this time. I'm truly sorry."

The sage tried to pull on Damas's shoulder, suggesting they should leave. Damas refused. He continued to gaze at the boy in his arms.

His son was dead... and he never got to know the truth.


	2. Chapter 1

JAK AND DAXTER: SCHISM  
CHAPTER ONE

* * *

"JAAAAAK," Daxter screeched, slumping down on the table. They were at the Naughty Ottsel, tucked away in Jak's favorite booth. Sig snickered, amused at how well Jak was able to ignore his partner in crime.

"JAK!"

Still ignored. Jak was damn near perfect in keeping his composure as he turned an exasperated eye toward the new wastelander king. He signed, swiftly pinning Daxter down as the ottsel began to paw at his face. Still ignoring his struggling friend, he rolled his eyes, "You sure Sig? Don't you have a bunch of royal duties and stuff now?"

"No worries. Nothin much goin' on right now anyway. Seem has it under-control," Sig gave a thumbs up, "b'sides. I need a good stretch. Been getting lazy lately."

Jak nodded and finally turned his gaze down to his flailing companion, "See Dax! It'll be fine."

"Fine my fuzzy-orange-ass." Daxter hissed, "The last artifact you went to find brought the whole place down on us. No way you're going alone!"

Jak leaned back, "So, you want to go into the big, scary, dangerous cave to track down the big, scary, Dark-maker artifact?"

Sig almost choked on his drink when he saw the dark, but humorous look Jak had just given the ottsel. Hanging with these two never got old.

Daxter shuffled uncomfortably, "Well, no, but, Jak..."

It was just then that Tess, who had been listening in as she carried another tray of drinks over to the table, decided to speak up. She reached up, shuffling the tray onto the table, then pulled herself up to stand beside the other ottsel, "Daxter! Sig's going to be with him... and Jak can handle himself!"

"But BABE!" Daxter scoffed, before he was quickly interrupted.

"Daxy-poo," Tess cooed, knowing exactly how to push Daxter's buttons. She sent a quick, barely noticeable smile over to Jak, "I really... really need your help here! There's so much to do before the party... and I just can't possibly do it all by my lonesome. I need my big, strong, man to get things under control."

Daxter nearly melted. He gave Jak a dirty look. He had a sneaking suspicion that the two of them were planning something, even if he couldn't figure out what it was. But he couldn't resist her beautiful playful eyes... and her beautiful everything else. He sighed, leaning into his girl slighly as he grabbed her hand and gave her a bit of a dip, "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are? Because GRRRR!"

"Really, Dax, we'll be fine. Sig'll be with me, and this one isn't giving off much of a signal. It's probably not anything big." Jak stretched, feeling tired, "Besides, Tess really, really seems to need your help."

Daxter rolled his eyes at his long-time friend, and sighed, still having Tess slightly dipped, "Fine! I didn't wanna tell you this Jak, but that shoulder-plate of yours is getting a bit lumpy... and smelly. It's messin' up my fur anyway!"

"I'll get it cleaned up." Jak said matter-of-factly, and Sig couldn't tell if he had taken the ottsel's joke seriously.

Daxter sighed again, and hopped off the table, making his way to the bar. Once he was out of earshot, Tess turned to Jak, "Thanks. I really, really want this surprise to go off without a hitch tomorrow night. He doesn't suspect a thing!"

Jak let loose a rare, slight smile, "No problem Tess. Anytime." He didn't want to admit he was going to miss having Daxter on this short little quest. It wasn't often that they didn't go together, and Daxter knew how to keep him level headed just by being there... but he couldn't be selfish. This was going to be a big, big day for his best friend, and he was happy for him.

Jak yawned, getting more and more exhausted by the minute. It had been happening a lot lately, and he knew it was because of the lack of Light Eco in his system. It was getting harder and harder to find, and he had to make each little bit last as long as possible to balance out the dark. He sighed, and shuffled a bit uncomfortably as he tried to concentrate. He felt a familiar tug, and relief seemed to spread across his face. He still had a little left... he could feel it deep down, but he knew he was going to have to find more soon.

Part of the problem was that he still kept the fact that he absorbed and channeled Light Eco from his friends. It was something he knew was stupid, but they still didn't know about that small aspect of him. He wanted it to remain private, even though he knew they might be able to help him find some.

Sig seemed to notice something was wrong, and contemplated asking. Jak tended to be a pretty quite guy when it came to anything involving himself, though over the past two years he'd been opening up slightly. Things seemed to finally be settling down inside that head of his, and he was beginning to feel comfortable trusting people other than Daxter. Not with everything, of course. He still kept a very, very, large amount of information to himself... but he _was_ loosening up. Sig couldn't help but feel a little happy about that... knowing that Damas would have wanted it that way as well. The kid had been through enough, and deserved to be able to relax a little.

He weighed his options, then decided to ask, "You ok, Cherry?"

Jak almost looked annoyed, but seemed to catch himself, and he relaxed, "Yeah, just tired." He paused for a second, seeming to struggle with a thought, then sighed. He leaned in close, "Hey, uh.. you haven't heard of anyone finding any Light Eco around the wasteland?"

Sig didn't quite understand why Jak had asked, but could tell that deep down there was a desperation to it. "There was a vent in Spargus, but it's been all dried up for a while now." He thought for a second, "I could ask the monks to look into it?"

Jak shook his head. He had already asked Seem if the monks knew anything. Seem had promised to keep an ear to the ground, being one of the few who knew of the balancing act within Jak, "Nah, no, it's not that big of a deal."

Sig knew a lie when he heard one, and frowned inwardly, noting to himself to try and figure out what was going on later. He owed it to Damas to look after the kid, and he damn well intended to.

"Im gonna turn in for the night," Jak said absently, scooting out from the booth, "We'll head out at sunrise?"

Sig nodded, "I'll have a buggy ready."

Jak grunted in appreciation, heading up the stairs behind the bar. Daxter and Tess had been pretty successful, and had managed to expand. Now they had a full condo of their own attached to the bar, and Jak rented the loft above. Not to mention the bar had also expanded in size on the ground level, nearly double the square-footage that it used to be.

He unlocked his room, which was clean, and organized, but surprisingly bare. Tess had offered to decorate, but Jak couldn't bring himself to do it... He had gotten so used to having so few things, it just felt natural to him.

He frowned, as he removed his over-armor, unbuckling the straps that held everything in place. He let them slump to the floor, then he moved his hands up to remove his goggles and scarf. He always had his goggles and scarf. They were objects that were undoubtedly, and absolutely part of him. He'd feel naked without them. Running a quick hand through his hair, he noticed that it was getting a bit long again. It came to just above his shoulders, and he wondered silently if he should cut it again.

Jak kicked off his boots, leaving his pants on. He scrambled through a drawer, and pulled on a loose, white over shirt. He couldn't sleep without a shirt. Deep down he knew it was because he was afraid someone would walk in and see his body, scarred and twisted as it had become. He'd never get over that, even though he knew he _should_. Everyone knew that he'd been through _something_ in the fortress, but no one knew exactly what he had endured. He didn't want them to.

He slumped onto the couch, and rolled over onto his side. He rarely slept in bed... it reminded him too much of the prison. No amount of blankets and cushions seemed to matter, and he tended to have more nightmares if he tried. His eyes felt heavy, and he let out a long, quiet sigh, noting how much his joints ached. It didn't take long before his chest fell into a steady, calm rhythm, and he was oblivious to the world.

***  
Daxter watched his friend head up the stairs, and quietly followed, peeking around the hallway as Jak made his way into his apartment. The ottsel sighed, shaking his head a bit. Everyone had noticed how tired Jak looked, even if they didn't know why. They'd all taken turns asking the ottsel what was up, and he'd made up numerous excuses for his friend. He knew Jak was struggling. He knew it was getting worse as they found less and less Light Eco. He also knew that Jak wouldn't ask him to stay behind if there wasn't some other, more serious reason for it, even if it did make him feel a little rejected.

The two of them had been tracking down any dark-maker artifacts left over from the battle two years ago, and destroying them. They'd also been finding any active Precursor crap they could get their hands on, bringing it back to Vin, Sig, or Ashelin depending on what they found, and who it would help most.

Things in Haven were looking up. Things in Spargus were looking up. It was a long, long process to get things back in order, but it was happening, and people were beginning to fall into a comfortable, if not still tough, way of life.

Jak was also getting better emotionally, even if he was struggling with the whole Eco-balance crap the stupid Precursors shoved on his shoulders. Every once and a while Daxter would notice that Jak would have a look that reminded him of his old friend back in the Sandover days. Whenever that happened, he couldn't help but smile too. Life was getting better.  
***

Ashelin pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. Samos and Onin, and Pecker, had come to the palace to discuss something 'mystical' that was bothering them. Unfortunately, she had enough problems of her own, and it was starting to get late. Vin had reported little 'blips' as he had called them, in the Eco grid. How much of it was him over-reacting, Ashelin wouldn't even begin to know. Still, better save than sorry.

Vin was an insanely valuable asset. He had reconfigured the eco-grids from the inside out, which was quite a literal statement now that he was actually a part of them. That resulted in better service for the people, which had made everyone's lives easier. Pretty soon they'd be able to work on clearing out dead-town, and opening up the walls a bit. The metal head threat, though still there, was extremely minor now. Small pockets would appear, but Haven now had an agreement with the wastelanders to pay them for their services in cleaning up messes. That was Sig's idea.

"Lady Ashelin!" Samos demanded, in a tone the governor didn't quite like. She wasn't her father, and was now an actual, elected official, but still expected at least a little respect.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." Ashelin sighed, "I'll have Vin look into it... but he's been pretty busy lately."

"Onin says things are strange. Things are not as they are meant to be!" Pecker squawked, "Onin says the life of the world is being effected, but she cannot see by what."

"Yes, yes." Samos agreed, "I can feel it in the plants! Something is happening... and I don't like it."

"The dark-makers are gone. Jak defeated them remember?" Ashelin sighed. She looked up and saw Torn enter the chambers, a slight look of relief extended across her features.

"Yes, well." Samos huffed, "Something is still. Not. Right. The tremors and strange shooting stars tell us that."

Ashelin did admit that their had been some slight earthquakes lately... but nothing that had caused any damage, and they were few and far between, "Look, I promise to look into it when I get a free minute... but I just can't right now."

She looked pleadingly at Torn, who took the hint and ushered the Sage and Soothsayer out of the room, muttering something about private Krimson Guard business. The door closed behind them, their disgruntled voices still carrying on as they shuffled out of the palace.

Torn looked back at Ashelin, and frowned. She was worn out, and needed a break. He slowly walked over to her, and leaned against her desk, his rough voice cutting the silence, "Nothing major to report."

"Oh thank the Precursors!" Ashelin sighed, with a small smile, "I thought maybe you were going to tell me something had exploded, or the KG stumbled on some huge hive of Metal heads in the sewers, or something stupid!" She huffed. Then she calmed down and slumped in her chair, "There's a board meeting tomorrow to discuss budget cuts for the guard."

Torn frowned. He knew things were calming down, but didn't like to hear that. Things hadn't calmed down _that_ much. He looked at Ashelin's face, and instantly knew she felt the same way. He didn't feel the need to voice his opinion. Instead, he relaxed, "So, _lady_ Ashelin."  
Ashelin looked like she could stab him with her eyes, and he chuckled. He loved getting her rilled up.

"What is it _commander?" _Ashelin retorted, with a snort.

Torn smiled a crooked, sarcastic smile, and reached to cup her chin in his hand. The business could wait. He leaned in and locked lips, quickly, but lovingly.

Ashelin looked a bit surprised, but relented, feeling her stress lift ever so slightly.  
***

Keira had just finished up for the night, and was getting cleaned up.

Her apartment was above her garage. She'd done quite well for herself the past two years. Racing was getting even more popular now that things were calming down... even some of the wastelanders were coming to her with their buggies.

She stretched, not sure if she wanted to get out of her nice, warm shower. A bit of debating with herself and she sighed, turning the water off, reaching to grab a towel. She got out, then slumped into long, loose shirt, and practically collapsed onto her bed.

She wasn't quite tired yet, even though she knew she really should get some sleep. She squirmed a bit, then turned and grabbed a com-link off her nightstand. She cursed inwardly when she saw the oil and dirt _still_ under her nails, knowing damn well it was never, ever, going to go away, no matter how much she showered.

She called the bar, and smiled when Daxter answered, "Hello toots. What's up?"

"Hey Dax. Just wonderin if Tess was still up?" Keira asked. She and the little ottsel lady had become pretty good friends, and Keira was extremely excited for the surprise Tess had for Daxter. She wanted to gossip.

"Ah, sorry babe. She went to bed a few minutes ago. It's just me and Sig here now, and he aint much the talkative type."

Keira frowned, her fun dashed, "Jak's not there?"

Daxter paused for a minute, "What, you don't wanna talk to the great Orange-Lighting? Daxter's not good enough for ya!? After all these years! We used to be close Keira, what ever happened to us? I'm just, so, heartbroken!"

"Daxter..." Keira smiled, knowing her old friend was just giving her a hard time.

"Nah... he got tired. Went to bed."

Keira frowned a bit, a slight worry bubbling up in her gut. Jak tried to pretend, but she knew he had been tired a lot lately.

Almost as if Daxter could _hear_ her thoughts, he pipped up, "Hey, he's ok."

"Yeah, I know. Just a little worried." Things had been going pretty ok between Keira and Jak. It seemed like he had begun to open up a bit, and they had even gone on a couple dates. Nothing serious, as they were both still a little awkward around each other. But it was something.

Frankly, after the way she had treated him before, she was just glad he was giving her the chance.

She saddened a little when Daxter replied, without his usual jest, "Yeah, I know the feeling."  
***

Jak sprang awake just as a small picture Tess had _insisted_ he take toppled off a shelf. He was in defensive mode, glancing quickly back and forth to see who was in the room. He thought he sensed Dark Eco around him, but figured he had imagined it.

He felt the ground shake ever so slightly. Earthquake. Small Earthquake... that was it. He rolled back over, pulling the blanked up to his chin.

Samos had said something about the earthquakes... but he was still mad at the Sage and had decided to not listen. He'd done a lot of thinking about Samos since Damas died, and had decided that while he respected everything Samos had done to raise him, he was pretty upset about the amount of things he had hidden from him. Samos knew who he was, knew what was coming for him, but still chose not to say a word. One day he'd let him have it... but he couldn't' bring himself to do it quite yet.  
Closing his eyes, he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

**Authors note:** So, lots of set up, wanted to establish what was going on with all the important characters. Hope you guys are at least a little interested. R+R!


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's note: ** Oblique Strategies: Thanks for reviewing. Your review popped up _right_ as I posted Chapter two. Hope you enjoy this one as well!

CHAPTER TWO

* * *

The engine revved as Sig jumped a dune, snapping Jak out of his passive day-dreaming. Jak yawned, pulling is goggles down over his eyes to shield against the rising sun.

It was going to be a full day's ride to reach the spot the dark-maker signal was coming from. Vin had detected it just a few days earlier, and Jak knew that with Tess's surprise and following party, he was going to need a partner to go with him on this trek. If it were closer, he probably would have done it alone. Hell, he probably would have anyway if not for Daxter's insistence that he at least find _someone_ to go with.

"You awake down there?" Sig asked, stealing a quick glance.

"Yeah, just thinking. There was a quake last night again, wasn't there?" Jak asked absently. He couldn't remember if he'd actually felt it, or if it was a dream.

"Yeah, at least around Haven. Seem said they didn't feel anything in Spargus."

"Hmm." Now that Jak was awake, he could admit to himself that he was actually curious. Maybe we would stop in and talk to Samos after all.

Half a day passed, and other than a few jokes or minor squabbles, neither had said much during the drive. It was certainly a lot more quiet without Daxter around, and neither warrior really minded.

Sig was struggling with himself on whether he wanted to bring a certain subject up. Seem had suggested it, practically demanded in her weird, non-committal, non-emotional way, since she knew the new king was going to be with the actual prince.

"So, uh, Jak." Sig brought up, a bit slowly.

Jak cocked his head, unsure about his friend's tone. He had a feeling he wouldn't like what was about to be said.

"So, ya given any thought to ya know... coming back to Spargus... more permanent like?" Sig danced around the question. Jak had is own quarters in the desert palace, but had made absolutely no claim to the throne. The wastelanders all knew who he was by this point, but after a couple years they had accepted him as just another wastelander... if not with slightly more respect.

"Haha, no." Jake replied sharply, turning his gaze back towards the sands in front of them. They had begun circling the coast, and the breeze felt nice.

"Well, er, you know..."

"It's not gonna happen Sig." Jak replied, knowing exactly what he was getting at, "He might have been my dad... but..." Jak trailed off, trying to decide how he wanted to say what he wanted to convey, "I'm not the prince. I'm not the same kid he lost."

"You're still Mar."

"I _used_ to be Mar. A lot happened, and now I'm not.. I'm just not him anymore." He sighed, and Sig sensed that Jak was closing back up. It was obviously a sensitive subject, "He died the minute we came to Haven."

Sig had heard the basics. Jak had been sent back in time to be raised by the Green Eco sage, to be this legendary warrior. They came forward in time, actually causing the metal-head war when they did, and Jak had been captured by the Baron as soon as he arrived. He was taken to the prison.

It was confusing, but incredibly amazing all the same. Jak went on to save the world, not once, but twice. Sig wouldn't want _anyone_ else watching his back... even if the kid did have some serious anger issues.

Sig's original mission from Damas was in infiltrate Haven and find his son. He did it not only as a soldier, but as Damas's best friend. They had known each other for as long as Sig could remember, and he would have done anything for him. It was similar to Jak and Daxter in a way, if not significantly quieter.

And he _had_ technically found him. He just didn't know that he had. He still cursed at himself for not recognizing him, but knew that it was because he was looking for a small child, and not a young adult. Things were complicated.

There was about half a minute of silence, when finally Jak cocked a forced grin, "What, getting tired of being king already, big guy?"

Sig shook his head, "Hey, Seem wanted me to ask is all."

Jak raised his goggles and looked at Sig, seemingly trying to read his features. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he sighed, "Ash asked me the same thing."

Sig cocked his head to the side, curious.

"Before she held the elections. Said something about it being my 'birth-right', and she didn't want to step on _my_ toes." Jak snorted, "I couldn't really believe it."

"Well, technically, she was right."

"She knew I'd say no. She just wanted to make sure she actually asked." Jak replied with a shrug, "I think I laughed at her face. That's not me. I'm not really smart enough for all that. I just wanna be left alone, and do..." he waved his hand a bit, "... this. I'm tired of saving the world, and I'm not really gonna hop up and accept some responsibility I didn't even know I had. Some people apparently even wrote my name in on the ballot! I mean, what the hell? I'm a freaky, murdering monster one day, and suddenly I'm their savior and they want me to be king?"

This is the most Sig had ever heard Jak talk on the subject. More evidence to show that Jak was becoming more and more secure, and setting himself strait. Even if he was less active, and more exhausted, at least he appeared to be coming to some semblance of peace with himself.

Jak stiffened a bit, "... and I don't really want to disrespect Damas's memory. He was a good king. He had a son he loved, and knew, and wanted more than anything to see again." He paused, and a blank look covered his features, followed by a quick, fleeting moment of inky darkness in his eyes, "I could never give that to him now."

Sig didn't want to tell him how wrong he was. He knew Jak needed more time and dropped the subject, instead changing it to a more lighthearted one, "So, what's the big secret with the chili pepper and his girl?"

Jak actually smiled. A genuine, deep smile that Sig had never, ever seen Jak make, "I'm sure you'll hear all about it in a few hours. No way he'll keep radio silence."

It gave Sig a new-found respect for the dynamic-duo's friendship. Jak was a very tortured soul... but Daxter could bring true happiness to the surface.

The rest of the ride went on in silence, except for a small moment when Jak took over driving to give Sig a break.  
***

Jak grunted, gripping the next ledge with the tips of his fingers. He was used to climbing, and had been quite conditioned for it. It also helped that all the experiments the Baron had conducted actually gave him slightly super-human reflexes, even when he wasn't in his Dark form. He looked down, and almost cracked a laugh.

Sig was _not_ used to climbing. He was big, bulky. His muscle was what made him tough, durable... not acrobatic. He clumsily extended a hand, and with an almost pleading look in his eye, grunted.

Jak took his hand and helped heave him up, once again thanking his deceptive strength. Sig stumbled back and leaned against the wall behind him, looking off the edge of the cliff. They were high. Really high. Much higher than he was comfortable being. But even he had to admit the view as amazing. The sun had started to set, and the brilliant red and purple hues on the horizon were brighter than he had ever remembered seeing them. It danced on the ocean that spread out in front of them, and everything seemed peaceful. What looked like a shooting star, only more spastic, skated across the sky. Sig ignored it, passing it off as a figment of his imagination.

Jak tapped him on the shoulder and pointed up the path they were now on. It was less sheer, and more tapered out. At the corner was an overturned Precursor platform, "I bet with a bit of Eco from one of our blasters we can use that to get back down."

"Good, because I wasn't gonna say nothin, but I was beginning to wonder what your plan was." Sig pushed himself up, "And I sure as hell wasn't gonna jump."

Jak found himself wishing he had access to more Light Eco. His light form would have made this climb a piece of cake. He missed stretching his wings and soaring... He was almost tempted to tap into it, and felt himself subconsciously reach for it. He closed his eyes for a split second, and with a small tug, realized just how little of the Light Eco was left. He immediately let it go, not wanting to squander it. Plus, Sig was there. Jak sighed.

Sig had noticed his little zone-out, opting not to say anything. Instead he began trudging up the path, with Jak following closely. Slowly it turned to stairs, and evidence began to present itself that suggested their was an old, abandoned Precursor temple nearby.

Sig checked his peacemaker, knowing full well that the temples had begun to attract straggling Metal-heads. If Jak was right, and there was a Dark-maker artifact up there somewhere... that meant even more of the little monsters. They swarmed the things like flies on a Yakkow's ass.

Slowly they made their way into the temple, and Sig's suspicions proved correct. Small, scurrying scorpion like Metal-heads disheveled themselves from the ground, desecrating what once was considered a holy place. He took aim and fired, blasting apart any glowing gem that came his way through the darkness.

Jak took careful, calculated shots with his morph-gun, not missing a single beast. He was cold, and moved with a purpose. Something Sig had seen before... it was just a bit unsettling to know that someone so young had been forced into that level of combat discipline.

Before long the room was cleared, and small, bubbling globs of Dark Eco had begun to seep free from the corpses. Jak tensed, knowing full well what was coming. Within seconds the Eco seemed to take on a life of it's own and zip towards him, absorbed by his body. Sig knew it had to be painful.

Jak stumbled a bit, slowly placing a hand up to his chest. A few seconds later he straightened, eyes closed. He turned his head slightly, as if trying to crack his neck. Releasing his breath, he opened his eyes, and for a few seconds, small, crackling wisps of Dark Eco formed thin bolts that jumped across his body. Jak noticed Sig's stare, and he quickly turned his face away in discomposure.

"Damn, cherry. I've seen it a bunch of times but I still can't get used to that. You ok?" Sig asked, genuinely concerned.

Jak sighed, agitated. The Dark Eco always made him feel angry. He tried to calm himself, but knew his voice held a bit of a bite, "Fine. I'm fine. Let's go."

Sig knew about Jak's temperament when it came to Dark Eco. He _had_ seen his dark form in action on a few occasions, and had been on the receiving end of Jak's subsequent attitude. He shuddered when he thought about it. He hoped he was never on the receiving end of Jak's claws.

The wastelander knew that Jak didn't actually mean to sound as malicious as he did, so he blew it off, "You got it Kid."

As they made their way deeper and deeper into the temple, Jak had begun to feel more and more erratic. He told himself it was because of the Eco... but something deep down told him 'No... that's not it.' He tried to ignore it, but a feeling of dread grew as they continued.

They stopped to rest in a small side room with one entrance, and lit a small fire. Sig took the time to barricade the door, shielding themselves from any wandering Metal-heads. He passed out the rations they had brought with them, and sat down against a pillar.

Jak looked at his com-link for the time. Dinner time. He wondered if Daxter had gotten his _surprise_ yet.

And like magic, Jak's com-link spring to life, Daxter's voice blaring through the chamber.

"WHAT. THE. HELL. JAK?!" Daxter demanded, but not at all in an angry tone. Instead he sounded elated.

"Hey Dax, what's up?" Jak snickered, his previous feeling of dread all but forgotten.

"YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS DIDN'T YOU!?"

"Hey, buddy, I don't know what you're talking about. You're gonna have to elaborate." Jak grinned devilishly at Sig.

"I'M... I'M... I'M GONNA BE A DAD! JAK! JAK! WHAT. THE. HELL!?"

Sig's eye went wide, and Jak muted his mic as he let out a quick, happy laugh. Jak's eyes were tearing up, and Sig could see the pure elation in his face. He pointed dumbly at the com, grinning at Daxter still rambling.

Sig couldn't help but grin himself, as Jak re-activated the mic.

"Well hot. Damn. Chili Pepper! Congratulations!" Sig let out a woop, "I owe ya a drink!"

"SIG! I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" Daxter almost sounded like he was about to start hyper ventilating.

"You don't say?" Sig asked, laughing now, "Really, I wouldn't have guessed."

"Dax, seriously man, congrats. I wish I was there." Jak said, smiling.

After a few seconds, it seemed as though Daxter had calmed himself down. Either that, or Tess had convinced him to lower his mic's volume, "Oh. Sheesh, Jak. I mean... I didn't know it could even happen with, well, what we are. I mean, I guess it makes sense, how do the Precursors make more little Precursors and all that? But we're not really full Precursors. We got the look, but not the power, ya know. So, I mean. I didn't know."

"You sound upset?" Jak teased, and he swore he heard Keira and Tess laugh in the background.

"UPSET?!" Daxter screeched, "What?! I'll..."

He was at a loss for words. Daxter was never at a loss for words. Sig looked at Jak, who looked so content with the world, staring down at his com-link. It felt so out of character for the young warrior... but still right. The look showcased just how young Jak actually was underneath all that forced toughness.

"Hey, Dax. I'm happy for you man. I am. We'll party hard when I come back. Drink's on Sig?" He smirked at the wastelander.

"Heck ya, boys! Ima drink you two under the table, wastelander style!" Sig bellowed.

"Yeah, yeah." Daxter replied, practically beaming over the com, "You better hurry back. Like, now. I'm... I just..."

"Ok, Dax. I'll let you go so we can get this taken care of and be back before you know it." Jak said, still smiling, "And tell Tess I said congrats, and 'I told ya so.'"

"WHAT? WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?" Daxter huffed.

There was a shuffle in the background as Tess's giggle came over the com, "Thanks boys! Hurry back, love ya!"

The com-link went silent, and Jak let out a long, emotional sigh. Slumping his head back against the wall, eyes closed.

"We'll I'll be a Yakkow's mother." Sig said, smiling, "what a surprise. Maybe he'll name the kid after me?"

Jak nearly choked, turning to face his companion. His previous out of character glee was slowly receding back to the normal, sarcastic, hard to read Jak that everyone was used to. "What if it's a little girl ottsel?"

"Uh, Siggett?" Sig laughed at his own horrible suggestion.

Their happiness was cut short as a sharp, quick rumble fell on their ears. The ground beneath their feet began to shake. Dust, rocks, and who knew what else, streaming from the ceiling. This quake was a full blown monster. Much stronger than any they had felt before. Both of them were on their feet and steadying themselves.

Jak's ears burned. He could nearly _smell_ the Dark Eco that seemed to have suddenly filled the air It made his head pound, and stomach churn. Sig didn't seem to notice.

A small, nearly silent crack caught Jak's sensitive hearing, and he shot a quick glance in the direction it came from. A huge stone directly above Sig had loosened itself, and with a second, sharp crack, had begun its decent.

Jak swore, tapping into his Light-Eco. He wouldn't use it all, he told himself, he _couldn't_ use it all. He just needed a bit.

The world around him took on a dark blue, water like hue. Everything around him slowed, and Jak moved, quicker than he ever had before. It felt like he was running through something slightly thicker than water. He released the hold on his Light-Eco just as he grabbed Sig, the momentum bringing them both crashing against the back wall.

The huge stone crashed into the floor, and through it, tumbling down into what looked like a lava cavern below.

Sig rubbed his head just as the rumbling stopped, and glanced around, "What.. Aw, Man, thanks..."

He turned to look at Jak, who had a look of sheer panic on his face. The youth stood, and stumbled backward, closing his eyes while he steadied himself against a pillar. He almost looked like he was trembling.

Jak tried to calm himself as he mentally dug deep, 'No... no no' he thought, 'No... there has to be more...' terror began to set in, and as he rooted even further, it almost felt like the Dark Eco in his body was laughing at him. ' Come on... COME ON...'

Finally he felt it. A small, weak tug. A sliver wormed it's way into his subconscious and he sighed, outwardly, forcing himself to be calm. There was some Light Eco left.  
Not much. Not much at all. But it was something.

"Jak?" Sig asked, concern layered thick in his voice. He took used his mechanical eye to get a reading on the youth in front of him. Tapping it on the side discretely, he took a look.

His heart-rate was extremely elevated, which was abnormal outside one of his Dark Jak transformations. He'd noted in the past that Jak had a shockingly slow heartbeat... assuming it had something to do with the baron's meddling. He was cold, body temperature lower than what was even normal for him. His brain waves were everywhere. And the Eco levels...

Jak had a lot of Dark Eco in his system. Sig thought he caught a little spark of something else, something he didn't recognize, but it was quickly diminished by the readings from the Dark, twisting Eco that plagued the boy's body. Sig cursed inwardly, wondering what he should do. Suddenly Jak straightened, and sighed, seeming to relax a bit. His heart-rate slowed, and his temperature began to rise.

Jak cracked open his eyes, "Sorry. Sorry I tackled so hard. You ok?"

Sig nodded, brushing against his eyepiece, disabling the readings. Whatever had spooked the kid so bad seemed to be dissipating. Maybe it was just adrenaline? He doubted it, as Jak tended to take to chaos like it was nobodies business.

Jak turned his head sharply, a look of disgust seeping into his features. His ears twitched slightly, and he almost looked like he wanted to gag. He coughed a bit, a deep seated cough, and continued, "Whatever that was... It let loose a whole bunch of Dark Eco."

Sig took a moment to reactivate his eye piece... but instead of focusing on Jak, he turned his gaze deeper into the temple.

"Holy..." Sig grunted, "What the?"

Jak stiffened, his eyes darkening. Small ripples of crackling Dark Eco jumped across Jak's body before he visibly struggled to get it under control. Sig guessed spending too much more time in here was a bad, bad idea. Especially for Jak.

"We gotta get that Dark-maker artifact and leave. Now." Jak stated harshly.

"Maybe we could come back for the artifact?" Sig suggested, as calmly as possible.

Jak turned a rigid, hauntingly dark look on his friend, "No."

"Ok. Ok, then. You're the boss, Cherry." Sig replied, getting more concerned by the second, but knowing there was no use arguing. Jak looked like a man compelled.

And he was. Absolutely, and completely. Jak knew it was a bad idea, but he told himself he needed to destroy that artifact. He could still sense it. He could taste it. It was foul, and corrupt, and screamed at him.

But there was also something else. Something he thought he recognized, but knew couldn't really be there.

The two continued deeper into the temple.

***  
Daxter took stock. The quake was huge. Way bigger than any of the others.

The bar was a mess. It seemed like half the Metal-head trophies had been thrown around the room. Dozens of shattered bottles littered the floor, which was now covered in a mix of sticky, smelly liquid. One of the highest shelves had come crashing down, damaging part of the counter below it.

"Teach me to hire cheap labor." Daxter sighed, "What's it take to get good work..."

Tess came scurrying quickly back inside, "Daxter, you have to come look at this!"

Daxter's ears twitched, still elated whenever he heard her voice. He almost jumped for joy when he looked at her. It had been a crazy night so far, "Tess look at this!" Daxter tried to jest, "What a Joke! What a bunch of half-assed lurker..."

He was cut short when she grabbed his hand and pulled him down off the counter.

"Yikes! Babe, if you were that desperate, you should have said something."

She continued to drag him outside, ignoring his continued false protests. When he still didn't shut up, she forcefully turned his head upward, and pointed, "Dax, look!"

Daxter gasped, "What the? What is that!?"

The night sky looked like it was literally cracking apart. Streaks of light, reminiscent of the little bolts of Eco that liked to dance across Jak's skin, rippled across the sky. It kinda looked like a broken plate that had been glued back together.

"How is that even possible?" Keira asked quietly, the crowd around them growing, "It's the sky. It's not like its... ya know... solid?"

"I'm sure its some mythical Precursor destiny crap-ola," Daxter snickered, sarcastically, "It's always some Precursor destiny crap-ola."

"I wonder if Jak is ok?" Keira asked, "Or if he's at least seeing this?"

Daxter dashed inside, grabbed his com-link and tried to dial Jak.

Silence.  
***

Jak quietly, but quickly trotted down a long, narrow hallway. He had turned off his com-link. He was having a hard enough time concentrating, without the interruptions. The temple was like a maze, but he could sense the artifact, and could almost feel the path of Dark Eco guiding him forward. Soon, they came to a huge, ornate, crumbling door. The top was broken in, and pulsing violet light drifted through.

Even Sig had noticed the stench of the Dark Eco ahead of them. He tried to grab Jak's shoulder, to slow him down... but too late. Jak had effortlessly scurried to the top of the rubble, and the wastelander saw him hesitate and stiffen when he glanced into the room.

"No... That's impossible." Jak growled. It was nearly inhuman in tone.

Sig cursed inwardly, and began climbing. He wasn't as elegant as Jak, by any means, but it only took him a few extra seconds to reach the top. He blinked his eyes against the light, and looked onward.

A lone creature stood in front of them, facing away. It was large, somewhat humanoid, but hunched over. It was covered in long, black sheets of what looked like armor, but it's skin, if you could call it that, was glowing purple, and pulsing. It looked mechanical, but it was hard to tell with all the Dark Eco bolts crackling off it. One large clawed hand rested on the floor, and it appeared to be reaching out with it's smaller, more slender hand to grasp a small, black, crystal-like orb.

"Is that a Dark-maker bot?" Sig whispered, risking a glance at his companion. He didn't like what he saw.

Jak was hunched, slightly, his skin quickly paling to an ashen white. The normal blond of his hair was receding to similar snowy shade, and protruding from his head were two, jet black horns. His eyes hadn't quite changed yet, but they were quickly on their way. Jak blinked, cringed, and almost looked like he was about to double over. Fangs slowly grew as he grunted in pain. His fingernails grew black, and slick, extending into claws. He opened his eyes again and sniffed, the last bit of blue blotted out by the thick, inky sheen.

Jak had known. He could feel his control slipping as he went deeper into the temple. When he laid eyes on the Dark-maker bot, he knew the fight was lost. He struggled, but it was in vain. There was just so much Dark Eco around him, and inside him: It ached, attempting to rip through his body to get out. There was just too much. He couldn't risk fighting it, and loosing the little bit of Light Eco he had left. He only hoped Sig had enough sense to stay out of his way.

The hope in his mind faded, and vanished. It was replaced with a deep, boiling rage. He could feel the power rushing to the surface. It was terrifying, but exhilarating. It hurt. Pain numbed his mind. His senses heightened, every sound, every smell, every shadow setting him on edge. He let out a sickening growl, as he felt himself hunch over.

Then the world faded to black.

Dak Jak terrified Sig. Admitting that was easy, and not much could get the wastlander to admit when he was scared. It was a creature born to be nothing but a killing machine. It's muscles were pulled tight, poised, ready to strike at any moment. It was usually cold, random, unpredictable.

He could tell when Jak had some minute level of control. The creature would hesitate, and pick it's targets more carefully. It _almost_ seemed to think, _almost_ seemed to hold back on how viciously it tore it's enemies apart. When Jak had control.

This wasn't one of those times. The Dark-Maker bot had just barely turned to observe it's foe when Dark Jak suddenly tackled it from above. Claws met metal, and seemed to melt through like a warm knife through Yakkow butter. Dark Eco sparked violently out of the 'wounds', as Dark Jak scrambled to hold on to it's now thrashing prey.

The Dark-Maker bot stumbled backwards, but quickly regained it's ground and brought it's large, clawed hand up to grab it's attacker. It clamped down, and Dark Jak let out a harsh growl. The bot tried to rip the creature free, but to no avail. Instead Dark Jak struck out, gripping at it's neck with his razor like claws, pulling on whatever it could wrap fingers around. He reared his head back for an instant, fangs flashing in the flickering light. He bit down, ripping at the back of the neck, tearing out whatever his jaws had latched onto.

Dark Eco poured. It poured from the open wound in the bot's neck. It ran down Dak Jak's chin, no doubt some had been swallowed. Slowly it seemed to burn itself away, but Sig knew that Jak had just absorbed it.

The bot clumsily bucked, and Dark Jak was thrown forward, landing with a roll that immediately led into a crouched stance. Seconds later Dark Jak lunged forward, claws outstretched, preparing for the kill.

The Dark-maker bot brought up it's other hand. The one holding the black, pulsing orb that it had been reaching for earlier. Sig knew it was the artifact they had come to destroy. Dark Jak didn't stop, claws striking the object with a loud, echoing clang.

It was like slow motion to Sig. Still perched on the rubble in the doorway, he watched as the room went eerily quite. A shock wave of energy cracked through the air with a hair-raising boom, and then a literal, white hot explosion erupted from the artifact. The Dark-Maker bot was incinerated. Dark Jak had been thrown backwards into the rubble with enough force to bring it all crashing down, with Sig on top.

Sig tumbled, tumbling forward with a hard thump. A few seconds passed, and he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. The Artifact was gone. The Dark-Maker bot was gone. Jak was...

"Jak!?" Sig coughed, shoving himself to his feet. The dust was still settling. He glanced side to side, then quickly made his way to the rubble.

"JAK?" He yelled again, letting out another cough. He cringed, realizing he had at least bruised a few ribs. He was just about to start digging when a large pile ahead of him shifted, slowly. Sliding off the back of the creature underneath.  
Dark Jak stood, uneasily, teetering forward in the rubble. It looked unaware, confused.

Damaged.

Sig didn't know if it was because of the artifact, or the subsequent explosion. He supposed it didn't really matter.

A mixture of blood and Dark Eco ran from Dark Jak's wounds. It dribbled slowly from his ears, and nose. There was a nasty gash across his back, where a particularly sharp stone had dug in, slicing it clean open from just next the spine all the way around to his side. Another, smaller gash on his calf oozed the dark, crimson/violet mix.

Sig couldn't tell how deep they were from where he was standing... but neither looked pleasant. If any normal man had been thrown into the rubble like Dak Jak had been, there was no doubt they would be dead.

Dark Jak suddenly turned it's confused, pain-stricken eyes on the wastelander.

Sig's heart skipped a beat, and his blood ran cold.

The creature stumbled forward, preparing itself for another fight, arcing his back with a slight, gargled gasp. His breathing was harsh, and very labored.

Sig was not in a good position. He was facing a deadly creature that had entered fight-or-flight mode... and Dark Jak didn't know the meaning of flight.

Dark Jak took an unsteady step forward, as Sig took a slight, steady step back.

"Jak!" Sig tried to reason, avoiding raising his gun so he wouldn't spook the creature in front of him, "Jak, come on now, snap out of it, lets get you outta here..."

Dark Jak growled. Another shaky step. Claws began to raise with narrow, murderous eyes.

"Shit." Sig slowly reached for the gun at his back. He didn't want to shoot Jak... but he knew if he didn't defend himself it would be over in seconds.

Suddenly Dark Jak let out a harsh, angry wail, pulling both hands up to grip his head near his horns. He cried out, shaking his head back and forth, stumbling backwards. Vicious snarls escaped his lips.

That's when another earthquake hit. Another big one. Dark Jak stumbled sideways in the chaos, still clutching at his head like someone had beat him with a bat. Besides him the floor began to give way, and Sig tried to call out, to reach out, but was thrown off his feet when a particularly large cracking sound ripped it's way through the air. Dark Jak stumbled forward, and Sig silently thanked the Precursors that he hadn't fallen into the newly created pit besides him.

Another large boom, and something peculiar happened. The air around him crackled with a strange, Eco filled energy. Dark Jak writhed in pain. The stench of Dark Eco once again filled the air. Even Sig could feel the sting of it... he could only imagine what Jak was feeling right now.

Looking up, the space between them seemed to rip apart. At first, it looked like a tear in a thick piece of fabric. Eco cracked around the seams, some of the Dark Eco absorbed by Dark Jak, who had looked frighteningly up at what was happening in front of him. Pure confusion spread across his face, muscles tensing to pounce if needed.

Then the rip opened wider, and in a flash of light, a voice could be heard inside.

"This really is the end." A low, saddened voice echoed through the void. A commanding figure could be seen, standing in a collapsing, dark room, eyes pointed to the heavens. It was like they were looking into another world. A crumbling, chaotic world, filled with similar rips like the one they were observing right in front of them.

Sig looked over to Dark Jak, who's features twitched in a type of recognition. He curiously peered into the tear, his face slowly regaining color.

"I'm sorry." The voice said again, and the figure in the other world said, "I could do _nothing._"

Sig couldn't believe his ears. He knew that voice. It was burned in his memory forever.

"Damas?" Sig breathed.

The figure in the other world stiffened, quickly turning his gaze towards them.  
***

Damas was startled. He knew he had heard Sig's voice.

But that was impossible. Sig was dead. He had died several months ago.

Around him the world was tearing apart, the fabric of space and time shredding. The sky was crumbling. This was surely his last day.

But he swore he had heard Sig. His gaze shifted quickly to one of the tears, the one to his left.

His heart stopped. There he was. Sig was staring at him, confused, shocked, but alive.

Then he noticed the other individual. The Dark creature that was slowly changing back into the youth he truly was. Blond/green hair. Sapphire eyes.

'Mar...' Damas thought painstakingly to himself, subconsciously clutching his hands shut. He had held his son as he died... yet there he was. Alive.

Damas's eyes widened.

Injured.

He watched in shocked silence as his son stumbled backwards, towards a dark, crumbling pit, pain wracking is every feature.

Then his son spoke, "Damas...?"

The youth began to shift slowly, clearly unable to stand any longer as the life seemingly left his eyes and he fell backwards.

Sig let out a yell, "_Jak!"_

Damas acted on instinct, and instinct alone, dashing forward towards the tear. Hand outstretched.

'No. Not this time' Damas told himself, his world was bathed in a bright, crackling light, and he clasped his eyes shut. 'Not this time.'

* * *

**Author's note: **Sig is probably my favorite character, next to Jak. I'm having a lot of fun including him :)

Don't forget to read and review! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 3

**Authors note**: This chapter is a bit exposition heavy, and I apologize for the lack of action... but its coming I swear! Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Oblique Strategies: Thanks for pointing out that there were errors in the last chapter. S'what I get for writing it at 2 in the morning I suppose! I'll go through pretty soon here and try and edit what I find. Hopefully this one is a little better.

CHAPTER THREE

* * *

"Lady Ashelin!" Samos stomped in, throwing the doors shut behind him.

"Yes, Samos. I know. I saw it too..." Ashelin had replied, casting a glance at the open air through the palace skylights. The strange patterns in the sky had begun to vanish as soon as the last tremor had ended.

Then there was the report of these strange appearances. Torn had contacted her, saying that a few people had panicked, claiming they saw people through 'holes' that appeared right out of thin air. Some even said they saw Metal-heads coming _through_ the holes. The KG were dispatched immediately.

Were they portals? If so, how were they appearing out of thin air? How were they not supported by Precursor rings? Vin had promised to look into it for her.

"Now will you take my warning seriously?" Samos demanded, as if she were a child, "I've been trying to figure out what, by the Precursors, is happening."

Ashelin narrowed her eyes, "And...?"

Samos sighed, looking defeated, "I... haven't found much." He paused, "But what I _have_ discovered, and Onin confirms it mind you, is that with each quake there is a large release of Eco."

"From where?" Ashelin stood, approaching the Sage.

He shook his head, "I don't know. But there's an awful, awful lot of Dark Eco at play here..."

Ashelin didn't have time for this. She didn't have time for any of it. She thought they were done with all the Dark Eco danger once the Dark Makers had been defeated.  
There was a sudden beep, and Ashelin's com-link sprang to life.

"Ash!" It was Torn. He sounded incredibly distressed.

"What's the matter, commander?" Ashelin asked, trying to hide the concern in her voice.

"You aren't going to like this." Torn replied, his voice cracking as he gasped in what sounded like pain.

"Are you hurt?!" This time Ashelin didn't bother trying to hide the concern.

"Eh... It's nothing major. A little Green Eco will patch it right up. Listen, that's not important." He paused, catching his breath, "Ash, there was one of those Dark-Maker things. It caught us off guard. It killed two of my guys before anyone could react."  
"What!?"

"We got it... but now we're searching the area to make sure there isn't _more_ of them."  
Ashelin and Samos shared a look of dread.

"Torn, I'll send squads out to blanket search the city. Report back for medical treatment." Ashelin commanded, "And get me the two soldiers names who died after you do. I'll have to meet with their families."

"Roger that." The link went silent.

She sighed, slumping into her chair, "Has anyone heard from Jak? This seems like a Jak thing."

Samos answered, "From what I understand, no one has been able to contact him. It's been several hours now since Daxter last spoke with him.

"Vin mentioned that the signal from the artifact he went to go destroy went dead." The red head sighed, hopeful, "Just a little bit ago."  
"I hope he's on his way back then." Samos stated, turning to leave "I will speak with the trees."

"Right..." Ashelin sighed, putting a hand to her brow. She didn't feel like dealing with his magic Eco bull, "You go do that."

***  
Damas was nearly in shock. What had he done? The Precursors of his world had warned _against_ things like this... had he just doomed another time-line to failure? Could this one transgression destroy an entire world?

He looked at the unconscious youth in his arms, and gently laid him down on the ground. He went to place a hand on his chest, and cringed when a small, quick bolt of Dark Eco jumped between the two. He didn't move away, instead, pushing harder... a weak heartbeat met his palm, and he nodded approvingly.

Sig was dumbfounded. Damas. His old friend was standing right in front of him. Damas had saved Jak from falling into the pit.

But it couldn't be. Damas was dead.

Slowly, he raised his gun. He didn't quite point it at the man in front of him, but made sure that the threat was noticed, "Who are you?"

Damas looked up, "What are you doing? Stand down wastelander!"

Sig almost faltered, but stood his ground. "Yeah, that's gonna have to be a no. I don't take orders from dead men. Leave the kid alone and step back."

A quick flash of confusion covered Damas's face, replaced slightly by understanding. He slowly began to piece together what was going on. 'So the Damas of this world has died. I wonder how that happened?' he thought to himself, glancing back down at Jak, 'Yet, both Mar and Sig live...'  
He raised his palms, showing he was unarmed, "I mean you no I'll will, Sig. I promise you, I am Damas."

"Forgive me if I don't quite understand how the man _I_ cremated is now standing right in front of me. I suggest you explain."

"I will try." Damas replied, "As I have said, I _am_ Damas. Just not the one you knew. According to the Precursors, our time-line had failed. In my world, it is you and..." he hesitated, unsure of how much was known about the youth's true identity. He had already done the unthinkable by coming through a tear; something he didn't entirely believe was possible. Who knew what effect that would have? He decided to play it safe, "... Jak... who are dead. You both died in the fight against the Dark-Makers."

Sig groaned. This was a time travel thing. He didn't understand the time travel things. He didn't _want_ to understand the time travel things.

"The Precursors of my world had failed. Erol lead the Dark-Makers in a successful attempt to conquer, and destroy. From what I am told by the Green Eco Sage, and from the last Precursor, this was _not_ meant to happen. Our time-line was unstable, the world began to crumble, and become undone. The tears had caused irreversible damage."

"Jak beat the Dark-Makers, and killed Erol two years ago." Sig stated.

Damas thought about that for a second... the events between their worlds seemed to follow fairly closely along the same time frame at least. The Dark-makers and Erol had been wreaking havoc on his world for nearly two years now. He wished the stupid Green Sage, or even the Precursor that he hated so much were present. Even he did not understand the finer details of their predicament, and was just reciting what he had been told. He was far more used to dealing with the combat side of things, and not the 'fate' and 'destiny' babble.

He continued anyway, "Not in my world. The Precursor said that everything was not as it should be. Erol and the Dark-makers had done something unthinkable, which is why our world was dying."

Sig would have replied had Jak not chosen that moment to groan in pain, and begin coughing. Sig and Damas both cursed, neither believing they could have neglected the unconscious youth. Both warriors knelt next to Jak, hands moving in unison to assess the situation.

Sig puled back the damaged clothes and armor, revealing the deep gash in Jak's back. He cringed, but also breathed an inward sigh of relief... It was bad, but not as bad as he had originally thought. Jak healed abnormally fast, and nothing vital had been damaged. He was badly bleeding, but with a bit of Green Eco, some bandages, and rest, it would be controllable.

Though, if it had been anyone other than Jak, Sig probably wouldn't have made the same assumptions.

Regardless, Jak _would_ bleed out if they didn't stop it quick, and Haven was nearly a day's travel away. Spargus was even further. Sig reached into his pack, pulling out a small supply of bandages, and a vial of Green Eco.

Damas ripped the clothes around the wound, giving Sig the space he needed to work. He tried to avoid touching Jak's blood, seeing how tainted it was with Dark Eco. He ignored the pain as it burned the tips of his fingers, nodding to Sig.

Uncorking the vial, Sig held it just above the wound, hesitating slightly.

Pouring pure liquid Green Eco onto a wound always stung like a bitch. It wasn't fun for anyone, but he remembered Samos saying that the pain was worse for Jak because of the way it reacted to the Dark Eco in his system. The kid apparently used to be able to channel the green stuff just fine, but after the Baron's experiments he had lost that ability. It still worked in a pinch, and would do it's job, just not as effectively as it would with any normal person.

"Sorry, Cherry." Sig whispered, slowly pouring the thick, glowing liquid into the open wound.

Jak let out a mangled cry, pulling his legs up closer to his chest. The Green Eco bubbled and reacted to the Dark Eco, burning the skin slightly before it finally began to work. His wound slowly began to close. Sig knew it was a quick fix. A temporary patch that would probably open back up slightly, but it would do what they needed until they could get him to the Sage. Jak's body continued to shiver, and sweat had begun to form on his brow. They quickly applied the remaining Green Eco to the gash on his leg, and applied patches to both wounds.

Jak coughed painfully, seeming to gasp for air. A violet bolt danced across his skin.

Damas spoke up, "There is too much Dark Eco in the air here, and it is clearly affecting him. Even I can feel it's effects. It's like a poison... we must get him outside."

Sig agreed, and scooped his companion into his arms, motioning for Damas to go first. Damas complied, and they made their way out to the open air.

It was dark, and the sky was clear, showcasing hundreds of thousands of stars. The temperature had dropped significantly. Sig looked down at Jak, and was relieved to see that he was already looking better. It was almost as if he was just in a deep sleep. His breathing had calmed considerably, and taking a quick look with his mechanical eye, he saw nothing wrong with his vitals. There was still a large amount of the dark stuff, but it was lower than it had been earlier.

It was late... or early. Sig fumbled slightly with Jak's com-link, to take a look at the time.

Early. Sunrise would be in just a couple hours. He turned to Damas, who was looking stoically at Jak.

"So..." Sig said, studying the man's features. He was slightly older, and definitely more worn looking than Sig had ever seen him look before. But damn, did he look like Damas. Sig missed him.

Damas quickly looked away from Jak, instead turning to look up at the stars, "In my world, the stars are already gone. This is a pleasant sight. One I thought I would never be given the opportunity to see again."

He even _talked_ like Damas. Short, commanding sentences. Damas was a powerful warrior king, sometimes too hot headed, but he was also wise underneath all that gruff.

"So, if you really are Damas..." Sig began, but was quickly interrupted.

Damas silently held up a palm, and tucked his other hand into his tunic. He retrieved a familiar pendent, identical to the one Jak had back in Haven. The Seal of Mar.

"I may not be the Damas of your world, just as you are not the same Sig from mine." Damas said confidently, "But I _am_ Damas, from the house of Mar. Once I was the ruler of Haven, now King of Spargus. The Sig of my world was my trusted friend, and one of my most loyal warriors. I am hoping that you can believe in me as he did."

It almost hurt listening to him talk, but deep down Sig wanted more than anything to believe him. It was all just too confusing. He sighed, and began walking down the path to the Precursor platform that Jak had found earlier, "I don't know what I'm going to tell the others..."

"I am curious." Damas stated, but didn't elaborate.

"About what?"

He hesitated, eyes wandering discretely to Jak's unconscious form, "If I am dead in this world... who is the new king of Spargus?"

Sig almost didn't catch the assuming look Damas had just given Jak.

Almost.

'Well I'll be damned...' He thought to himself. The wastelander decided not to bring it up, instead he tried to decide how to answer the question, "Funny you should ask..."

***  
"No... No it does make some amount of sense..."

"...Onin says..."

"...that I do not know... It was the Precursor who..."

Voices. They were loud, and his ears stung.

"...believe you were able to jump..."

"...By the Precursors..."

Why wouldn't they just be quiet? Everything was so cloudy, but their voices kept coming through and were bothering him. He didn't want to open his eyes... he just wanted to sleep...

"...The Dark-makers... Erol..."

Erol.

_A flash of light, and a cold, tattooed face glared down at him. Red hair. Amber eyes. A sick, twisted grin. 'We're going to have lots of fun today, Jak.'_

_Pain... so much... a spinning, whirling drill, dripping with Dark Eco. It came closer._

"NO!" Jak sprung forward in bed, cracking his head against something metal. He cursed, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead as he opened his eyes.

A small, light blue spider-bot was hanging over the headboard of the bed, looking down at him. It had a miniature, custom holo-projector attached to the top. Jak blinked, confused, then familiarity set in.

"Vin...?"

The spider-bot scurried down to the foot of the bed, and activated it's holo-projector. Vin's holographic blue face hovered over it.

He had re-purposed a small crew of spider-bots because people had complained that it was too hard to deal with him as just a 'fragment' of the Eco-grid. It gave him an opportunity to be physically present, to move around and interact with things. To be something more than just a disembodied voice. The others still looked at him weird, didn't quite understand him, but had accepted this far easier than not. The bots were specially programmed and adapted to function using only his power from the Eco-grid, and would self destruct if tampered with. He could use them to make outside repairs to the grid when necessary as well, which was a plus. He could also be in so many different places at once. One spider was here, observing Jak. Another was in the next room, conversing with the others. The rest were doing various tasks around the palace and city.

"Hello Jak. Sorry. I was told to keep an eye on you. They wouldn't let Daxter do it because he kept trying to wake you up. Tess had to drag him out. Sorry about your head."

Vin was happy to help. He liked Jak. The kid was a bit scary sometimes, and could be pretty mean to people... but he'd saved Vin's butt more than once when he still had a butt to save. He had also made a promise two years ago to keep visiting him after he had lost his body. He had kept that promise, which had meant a lot to the multi-layered, hyperlinking, digi-memic-bio-construct super-clocked-mega-memory construct. Sometimes Vin would get lonely, and Jak and Daxter would come visit. They didn't understand his rambling, and told him he was too paranoid all the time, and sometimes they said rude things... but they still came anyway.

"Did you have to watch so close?" Jak asked, looking around. He was in a room at Haven's palace, in the lower halls. Ashelin had converted a bunch of them into a hospital of sorts, mostly for the KG, but occasionally a citizen would be found in one of the rooms getting care. He couldn't recall coming here, and his memory of the past day was fuzzy at best.

"Sorry." Vin answered, "I was scanning your vitals and brainwaves. You were dreaming."

Jak tilted his head forward, the dream surging back to the surface. He felt a small flash of anger creep up from deep down, devastated at the invasion of his privacy. He knew Vin couldn't actually tell what he was dreaming about, but it didn't matter. His dreams were off limits.

Jak narrowed his eyes in annoyance and used his foot to shove the spider-bot off the edge of the bed, sending it crashing to the floor. Holo-Vin yelped.

Immediately Jak felt regret. He frowned, his brow softening. He turned his annoyance on himself for getting so angry, "Damn it. Vin, I'm sorry..."

The spider-bot came scurrying around the edge of the bed, almost appearing to shake itself off, and Vin's hologram re-appeared, "No worries. I can't feel anything anyway."

Jak took a quick second to look over himself. His armor had been removed, but his under clothes, though tattered, hadn't. They'd taken off his boots, goggles, and scarf as well, but left his socks and the thin, fabric gloves he wore underneath his thicker leather ones. He felt around his side, where the clothes were ripped, and grimaced in slight, pulsing pain as he touched the bandaged skin underneath.

"Daxter wouldn't let them take your shirt off, so they did what they could around it..." Vin explained, as if able to read his mind, "There was a big argument. Practically bit Samos when he tried. Er... To take off your shirt that is."

Jak silently thanked the ottsel. Daxter knew how Jak felt about his scars, even though he'd had never actually said anything. He knew that Jak hated the way people looked at him, unable to understand. His upper arms had the least amount of damage, so while in the desert he had switched to wearing a sleeveless tunic, but he always covered the rest of his body as much as possible.

There was a sudden cramp in his gut, and Jak motioned over to a small trashcan nearby. He clutched his stomach and leaned sideways, groaning as he used his other arm to support himself on the mattress.

"Oh. Oh... hang on. Oh..." the spider-bot quickly shuffled over to the can, and began to push it across the floor.

Just as Jak began to hurl, another spider-bot shuffled into the room. It was followed closely by Samos and the others. Vin had obviously alerted them to his current predicament, and the youth found himself becoming even more annoyed. Jak didn't feel like dealing with the upcoming drama, but wasn't in a position to protest.

Jak looked down into the bin, groaning at the mixture of bile, Green and Dark Eco. He could feel it burn the roof of his mouth, and he used the back of his hand to wipe off his chin.

Daxter jumped up on the bed, ignoring Samaos's protests, "Sheesh Jak, you look horrible!"

"Gee, thanks pal." Jak replied, purposely using the hand he had just wiped his mouth with to shove him gently away. The ottsel gave a funny, disgusted look as he made an 'ick' sound, climbing quickly over Jak's arm to stand besides his head.

"Uhg, and you smell!" Daxter continued, waving his hand in front of his nose dramatically.

"Gee. Thanks. Pal." Jak reiterated, laying back on the bed and placing a hand over his eyes. His vision had begun to swim, and after a few seconds he felt sick again. Shoving Daxter out of the way, he leaned back over the trashcan.

"Well that doesn't look good," Daxter goaded peering over the edge of the bed, "What, ya decide to just drink the Dark stuff straight or something?"

"That's what you get for letting so much Dark Eco build up in your system! Even now!" Samos scolded, wagging a finger, "How long has it been since you released it?"

Jak thought for a moment, really not in the mood for Samos's snide attitude. Ever since the Precursors had given him his Light Eco abilities, he'd been more reluctant than ever to transform into his Dark form. He knew letting too much Eco build up in his system was a bad idea... the whole 'keep the balance' thing, but he was stubborn. When _was_ the last time he had gone Dark?

He got a brief flashback of the temple, and panic set in. He had seen the Dark-Maker bot, and Sig had... He got a quick, shaky memory of holding out his claws, and of Sig backing away from him in fear...

"Where's Sig?!" Jak demanded, sitting up sharply and wincing as his back protested painfully. He blew if off, and scanned each face in the room, muscles tense. Samos, Keira, Ashelin...

"I'm fine." Sig's voice drifted over from the far side of the room, near the door. He was leaning against the wall, and gave Jak a quick salute, "No worries."

Jak almost collapsed with relief, muscles relaxing back to a more comfortable state. He turned his head to look at the person standing slightly behind Sig, in the actual doorway. That's when his heart skipped. Damas.

The young warrior didn't say a word, but everyone could tell he wanted to. The room grew quiet, no one sure how to break the sudden tension.

Jak didn't trust what his eyes told him. His thoughts had begun to race, and he tried desperately to ignore it. Confusion crept it's way into his features, and he took a sharp breath. The only thing he could bring himself to ask was "...How?"

All at once everyone tried to talk, tried to explain this and that. Tried to tell him about parallel time-lines, and how Erol had done something drastic and caused the tears in the walls between their worlds. How this other Damas had come through, along with Dark-maker bots and Metal-Heads. Jak shook his head, getting more bothered by the second. His mind wasn't clear enough to absorb all the sudden information, and all he could think about was when Damas had died.

_He had been pinned underneath the roll-cage. There was more blood than Jak had ever seen in his life, and he couldn't do anything to help the fallen king. Jak had realized that even attempting to heal him with his Light powers wouldn't work at this point. There was just too much internal damage. He remembered trying to hold Damas steady, remembered what it felt like when the life left his body. Jak remembered piecing together the puzzle, realizing that Damas was his father. Too late. It was his fault... if he had been a better driver, if he had seen the blast coming at them in time..._

_He remembered Veger's boastful gloat, his twisted sense of accomplishment. _Jak hadn't felt that utterly broken and revenge-filled since the good Baron himself.

The people around him were still trying to explain, to justify current events. The noise was too much, too deafening.

Jak just wanted out. He felt trapped, and wanted solitude. He could feel the familiar pressure build up in his mind, the rage. He didn't know why he was so angry, and tried to tell himself to calm down and focus, but he couldn't. Jak pulled his hand up to rub his eyes and partially hide his face.

Daxter was the only one not talking. He was the only one who paid enough attention to notice the change in the air around his best friend. He could see as Jak got more and more upset, regardless of how much he tried to hide it. He sensed how much his friend was struggling with the anger welling up inside.

Daxter quickly made a leap in front of his friend. He positioned himself between Jak and everyone else, holding up his arms defensively "Hey everybody, how bout you close those blabbing pie-holes and SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Jak lifted his head, and opened his eyes, anger all but forgotten. Daxter's back was facing him, and he could tell by everyone's reactions that he probably had a nasty look on his face. They all looked stunned at the sudden outburst. Samos even gaped a little, clearly annoyed with the disrespectful tone Daxter had taken.

"Now see here!" Samos began, stepping forward, before being immediately cut off by the ottsel.

"No, _you_ see here, you big tub of tree-bark!" Daxter retorted. He had never gotten along with Samos, and definitely didn't mind giving him the vocal middle-finger, "Did anyone ever stop to think that, 'hey, maybe Jak needs a break.' Or 'hey, lets not piss off the guy who just came off a nasty Dark Eco bender?" Daxter wasn't done, and he poked an accusing finger at the rest of the group, "Or how bout, 'hey, maybe we shouldn't bombard the confused guy who just saw his _dead freaking dad_ staring at him!?'"

Everyone stood dumb. Jak's eyes went wide, and the room seemed to be more silent than should even be possible.

Damas stood, staring first at the ottsel, then at Jak. The various people around the room had turned their heads to glance cautiously and curiously in his direction. He tried to form words, but had no idea what too say. Luckily he didn't have to.

"_Daxter!" _Samos hissed, eyes narrowing.

"Oh relax, he already knows!" Daxter huffed, motioning one palm towards Damas, "even a blind guy could see the stupid looks he's been giving Jak ever since they got here. Really guys. Really?"

Jak met Damas's eyes, hesitated, then turned away. He couldn't face him. Damas could see what looked like shame grow ever more present across his features.

"Now before it gets even more stupidly awkward... and you know it will," Daxter continued, "How about everyone just get the hell out and sit in the corner and _think about what you've done!"_

Everyone in the room was stunned into a stupor, and they all began to shift uncomfortably. Jak put his face into his hands and slowly rubbed upwards to his hairline, trying to calm his thoughts. He let out a small, weak sigh, eyes still closed, "I just want everyone to leave..."

Jak jumped slightly in surprise as a hand laid itself on his arm, muscles tensing defensively at the touch. He fought the immediate reaction to pull away. He only relaxed when he turned to see Keira looking down at him, concern shining in her emerald eyes, "Sorry Jak, I think everyone just got carried away."

Jak nodded silently, avoiding the gazes of the people around him, "I'm just really tired."

He felt Keira's touch pull away. Part of him wanted it back... her touch was surprisingly comforting. The other part of him was entirely too relieved when the only other person left in the room was Daxter.

"Shhhheeeeshhh," Daxter swiped at the air in front of him, rudely gesturing at the door, "What a bunch'a blowhards."

Jak let out a groan, leaning back against the bed's headboard. He didn't know if he'd actually be able to fall asleep, but it was nice to have all the unwanted attention gone. Everything was just making him mad.

He tried to calm himself. Tried to relax.

He only got more agitated, and he let out a small, quiet yell, smacking his elbow violently against the headboard. He gave one weak pound against the mattress with his fist, leaned his head back and exhaled.

Daxter turned to look at his friend, "Hey, screw those guys Jak. Let em figure things out on their own for once."

The ottsel took a second to look his friend over. Jak looked exhausted, and was rightfully shaken. He could see Jak fighting with himself, and could tell that there were more underlying factors than just the sudden revelations.

"So. How much of the good stuff ya got left?" Daxter asked, unabashed, "Cuz yer lookin' a little_ too_ dark and gruesome."

Jake opened his eyes and turned his head slowly to face his best friend. He shrugged half-heatedly, "Almost none. I had to use most of what I had left to save Sig. Did the 'slow down' thing."

Daxter frowned, "Yeah, what the heck happened in there Jak? Sig said you just lost it! I thought you were getting better at controlling Mr. rage-face."

Jax shook his head, "I... I don't know Dax. Right after you got off the com-link, there was a big earthquake, and..." He closed hie eyes, cocking his head to the side. Daxter could tell he was trying to recall the jumbled events in his head, "I just remember everything _feeling _like Dark Eco. It just came outta nowhere. Way more than what the artifact was giving off."

"Yeah, old tree face did say you had way too much in you. " Daxter stated, mockingly "Blah blah blah, you know, the usual, 'how is he not dead' 'what was he thinking' 'I think I know everything about everything'."

Jak couldn't help but give a weak smirk, even if he knew Samos was at least partially right. Even now he could tell he still had more Dark Eco inside him than he should. He desperately needed to find more Light Eco to bring it back into balance, and could feel his mindset reverting back to a more depressing state.

Jak closed his eyes, subconsciously bringing a hand to his heart. His thoughts wandered from subject to subject, never really settling on any one theme. He couldn't fall back asleep now, his head was still scattered, and body restless.

Daxter continued to blab for a bit, before he realized Jak wasn't really listening anymore. He just began to observe his friend. Jak's breathing was becoming slightly raspy, something his sensitive ottsel ears were able to pick up on. His skin was slightly pale, and he looked like he hadn't eaten well in a long while.

Jak suddenly noticed the quiet, and opened his eyes slightly, turning them on Daxter.

If the ottsel could blush, he would have, and he quickly turned his stare in the other direction. He jumped slightly as Jak gently put a hand on his little shoulder, and turned once again to face his best friend.

"Thanks Dax..." Jak said, an exposed tone in his voice. It was a tone that he only ever used with Daxter, "I couldn't really handle all that mess right now." He paused, and tugged slightly at his shirt, "... and thanks for..."

Daxter grinned devilishly, "No problem pal. I know how vain you are about them good looks of your's. I don't know why though," He stopped, and ran a hand down his own body, "They don't compare at all to the great Orange-Lightning."

Jak rolled his eyes, delivering a quick smack to the back of the ottsels shoulder, and sighed. He could tell his body was healing quickly, but he wished his mind would follow suit.

He tried a more lighthearted topic, forcing a sharp, smug grin "So, were you practicing your 'dad' voice earlier or what?"

***  
"He'll be fine. He just needs some rest." Samos reassured his daughter, who had been pacing back and forth, "It's his own fault anyway, for absorbing that much Dark Eco. Maybe if he'd learn to just stay out of trouble, and follow directions!"

Keira glared at her father, rolling her eyes. She placed a hand on her hip, suggesting she didn't approve of his opinion, but otherwise stayed silent.

Damas glared at the old Sage much more harshly. He had never particularly liked the Samos in his world, and it seemed as though that would follow through into this one as well. He couldn't help but feel that Samos had stolen his son from him, even if he did understand why. Though the boy in the other room was not the same boy from his world... he had had a long time to think of his and Mar's relationship after he had died, and still felt protective of the youth, "I fail to see how any of this is actually his fault."

Everyone turned to look up at Damas. He didn't let their gazes faze him, however, instead he straightened his back and continued, "You can not blame a child who had no chance of defending himself for what he has become."

Samos almost looked shameful, but turned his head away to avoid Damas's eyes.

"He's right." Ashelin spoke up, slightly shaken, "It was my father and Erol who..."

The door to their waiting room-turned-command center swung opened, and in walked Torn. He looked slightly worse for wear, but otherwise fine. He moved his left arm stiffly, where the Dark-Maker bot he had encountered had gotten a lucky blow. He'd been patched up relatively quickly however, and slumped lazily in one of the chairs, "...am I interrupting something?"

The tension was broken, and everyone decided to abandon their previous line of thought, instead focusing on the problem at hand.

"Damas, you had mentioned there was a Precursor still in your world?" Samos asked, still unable to look the wastelander in the eye, "Was there anything, anything at all, he may have told you that can help us stop whatever it is that is actually happening here in _this_ world?"

Damas sighed, repeating some of what he had explained earlier, "I do not understand it all, and perhaps am not the best to explain it. According to the Precursor, our universe began to crumble because the actions of Veger, Erol, and the Dark-makers. Somehow they altered our actual time-line, which created a type of paradox."

"Onin says that she suspects that your time-line is now crashing into ours, spiraling out of control, ripping these tears in the boarders between worlds." Pecker let out a squawk, "She says the structures that support time can be surprisingly weak. Whatever that means."

"But why?" Samos asked, hand on his chin, "I mean, how is it that your time-line has begun to affect ours? How did the collision itself begin?"

"I do not know." Damas replied, "The Precursor said that the tears were not of our world, and we mustn't interfere with them, or there could be dire consequences. In that, I suppose, I have failed to comply. He suspected Erol and the Dark-makers were looking for a way to escape into a stable world, but did not believe it was actually possible. "

"You mean Erol could be _here?_" Ashelin spoke up, face paling slightly.

"Onin says that she would not rule it out." Pecker spoke, waving his wings lazily, "After all, Damas himself has come across the barrier."

"There _was_ a Dark-Maker bot here in the city." Torn added, stretching his arm, "and Sig said that he and Jak ran into one at the temple... right after one of those quakes."

"It seems the quakes happen just before the tears do," Samos mused, "With a flood of Dark Eco to pour in through the cracks, followed by the tears themselves."

"Much of the air in our world had become poisonous, because of the Dark Eco that the Dark-makers had released." Damas suggested, "It may be leaking through."

"Ummm," Keira spoke up, "Just before Vin got us, you know... when Jak woke up... didn't you say something about a Precursor device?"

"That's right! Thank you Keira! Continue with that!" Samos demanded.

Damas gave the sage a disgusted look, annoyed with the disrespect.

Samos relented, "Er... Please."

Damas sighed, "He spoke very little of it, after... Jak... was killed. It was a device that was buried somewhere in our planet that he believed could possibly fix things somehow. Or at least stop the tears. We had intended to find it, when Veger..."

"You're not talking about the weapon in the catacombs?" Ashelin asked, "The one Jak used to blow up the Dark-Maker ship?"

Damas shook his head, "No. Erol made it to the weapon before we did. He destroyed it, and with the power of the Dark-makers, killed two of the Precursors inside."

"Onin says that she believes that is probably the point in which the time-lines began to differ... but does not believe that is what caused a paradox. There can be many endings to a single story."

Damas shrugged, "It does not matter. The last Precursor believed all hope was lost when Jak was killed. He never revealed to me the location, and I do not even know what it does."

"This is troubling, but does give us some hope. We should begin the search for this device immediately." Samos said, "I will try to find out what I can."

"I can start scanning for unknown Precursor signatures," Vin suggested, "But the world is a big big big big place, and it could take me a long time."

"I'll up security around each sector," Torn suggested, "If there could be more of those Dark-maker things coming through, we're going to need all the help we ..."

"Uh... guys!?" One of Vin's spider-bots interrupted, jumping up on the table in the center of the room. It activated a holo-display, showing a graph of the Eco in the immediate area, "Huge, Huge, Huge spike in the Dark Eco levels!"

The words had barely been said when the ground beneath them began to shake again.

* * *

**Authors note: **Again, sorry for the lack of action in this chapter... trying to get the exposition out of the way so we can get to the more adventurous parts. Also, I'm trying to keep other world Damas from becoming too much of a "dues ex machina" style character who just happens to know exactly how to save everyone. Hope he doesn't come off that way.

Don't forget to review! Critiques are welcome as well!


	5. Chapter 4

**Authors note: ** Thanks for the reviews guys! It lets me know people are actually interested!

Shaveza: I'm glad you feel that way about how I've written Daxter so far. To be honest, I think he's the hardest character for me to write for. I've tried to age up the characters appropriately, feeling that in two years of relative peace they would have all probably calmed down a bit. I wanted to keep this true for Daxter as well.. but you can't have Daxter without the witty attitude and jokes. I figure, if I can imagine his voice saying it, it probably works. Hope I manage to keep that up!

Quick notes:  
This chapter is a bit longer, and has both a bit of action and emotional character development. Jak is my favorite character to write for, because even though they don't elaborate in detail in the games, I can only imagine how jumbled his state of mind must be. I like to explore that, but hope to keep him in line with his already established character. Let me know if I stretch it too far!

On Keira... Years ago when I first played the second game, I _hated_ her. Not so much anymore... now, I think I like to treat her like a decent person who had a bunch of dumb moments and wants to make up for them. She's older, and looks back at things she said and did, and regrets them. It's the most realistic course of action for her I think. Also, I hated lost frontier, so don't expect _anything _from that version of Keira to be present.

Fluff eminent.

CHAPTER FOUR

* * *

It hurt so much. Jak brought both hands to tightly grip his skull above his forehead, nearly pulling at his disheveled hair. It was sudden, intense, and it wracked his entire body. He could feel the flow of Dark Eco in the air, could feel his body absorbing it. Devouring it.

"Jak! Jak whats wrong?!" Daxter has holding his friend steady, or well, as steady as the two foot tall ottsel could with the world shaking around him. He could tell that Jak was loosing his internal battle. It was something that Jak hadn't struggled with this badly in a long time.

Jak cringed when a bolt of Dark Eco crackled across his chest, but focused on keeping himself in check. He couldn't transform here... not now. His breathing was labored, and he was shaking slightly... He concentrated on Daxter's voice.

"Common buddy! Talk to me!" Daxter jumped up into Jak's lap, and put his hands on Jak's arms, trying to get his friend's attention, "Look at me, open those big blues!"

Jak hunched, and cracked open his eyes slightly, his teeth grinding, "Dax... it's... there's so much... I can't..."

Even Daxter could feel the Dark Eco in the air now. It made his fur stand on end, and his ears twitch. He kept talking, teasing, a small grin on his face that did nothing to hide his worry. It didn't matter, as long as he kept Jak's focus on him, "Pffft, what are you going soft on me? You need me to hold your hand? No... well fine then! I can go get Keira, I bet you'd wanna hold her hand... among other things..."

There was a sudden crack, and tears began opening around them, small ones, not much could be seen through them. Small jolts of Eco danced around the edges, some of it zipping through the air to find Jak as if he was some kind of lightning rod for it.

Jak cringed, but focused. 'Look at Daxter' he told himself, 'breath'. He felt like he was back to the first few weeks after escaping from the experiments, feeling lost, afraid of the lack of control. 'No... No... not anymore. I'm better now.' He chanced a glance around the room, trying to take in his surroundings.

He got a brief memory of the temple, and the tear that Damas had come through. It wasn't much, but it also helped distract him from the chaos inside his head.

"Jak!?" A familiar voice from the other side of the room. Quick footsteps.

Jak turned his head slightly, trying to determine who spoke. His vision was hazy, and he blinked his eyes shut to try and clear it. He smelled the familiar scent of motor oil, and he sighed, realizing who it was.

Keira stood, unsure of how to comfort him. It was obvious he was in pain. He shook his head slowly back and forth, grabbing his hair again.

Daxter gave her a distraught look, but quickly turned his attention back to Jak. His friend had clenched his eyes shut again and was tensing up. He snapped his fingers in front of Jak's face, "Look-a at da ottsel. No going all Darkie on us now!"

Jak complied, opening his eyes and nodding. The tears had begun to close, and the shaking had stopped. There was still a lot of Dark Eco in the air, but it had stopped flowing, and was slowly beginning to dissipate. Jak focused on his friend's voice, and felt his body begin to relax slightly.

He felt a soft touch on his shoulder and turned his head to face Keira, slightly embarrassed that she had seen him in his current state. She had a weird look that he couldn't place, and that made his heart sink.

"I'm... I'm ok," Jak nearly panted, trying to get his breathing back in line, "Open a... a window?"

The mechanic nodded, quickly shuffling over to a small, curtained window. She pushed the cloth aside, and clicked open the latch, pushing it out.

The three of them looked out, seeing that it had begun to get dark. The strange, cracking pattern had appeared in the sky again, which confused Jak until Daxter explained the phenomenon. Jak nodded, breathing in the cool air that had begun drifting into the room. It wasn't fresh by any means... Haven was as polluted as it got, but the breeze helped clear out the Dark Eco, and felt better than the stale recycled air inside the palace.

A few seconds of silence and they watched as the lines slowly faded from the sky. Jak leaned back, wiping sweat from his forehead. His body was tired, but his mind was suddenly wide awake and even more confused.

There was a sudden commotion from outside the room, and a second later Ashelin barreled in, followed quickly by the others.

The governor paused momentarily as she noticed how pale and wide eyed Jak looked. She shook it off, and narrowed her eyes, "We're getting reports from all over the city saying Metal-heads came pouring out of the larger tears, and are wreaking havoc. They seem to be working in tandem, and not just mindlessly wandering." She paused, letting loose an exasperated sigh, "and there are more of those Dark-Maker things..."

Jak sat up quickly, brushing off the slight twinge of dizziness, "Where?"

"All over." Torn replied for her, "We've already begun to mobilize the KG to sweep the city, but its gonna be a fight. We need to know what their weaknesses are."

Daxter's ears went back, a fearful look covered his face, "Tess is at the bar by herself."

Jak cast him an alarmed look, "I thought she was here?"

"She was, but after she pulled me outta the room to keep me from bothering you, she left, saying she wanted to get the bar up and running again..."

"She's a tough girl, she can handle her own." Ashelin tried to comfort the ottsel, "She's not dumb. If anything happens she'll get to safety."

Jak tilted his head down, focusing his attention on his friend, knowing immediately what he wanted to do. Silently, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and shakily stood. He quickly gained his balance, and made to grab his goggles and scarf. Now that he was up and moving around, he actually felt a little better.

Nearly everyone in the room began to protest. Jak ignored them, strapping on his shoulder guard and gun holster, pulling the straps across his chest tight around the metal ring that held them in place. He hadn't worn his Precursor armor to the temple, so he didn't have to worry about pulling all of that on. He slowly reached for his gun, and grimaced as his back ached.

A strong hand gripped his bicep, and Jak jerked his head to glare at whoever had grabbed him. Torn met his glare with one of his own.

"You aren't in any condition to fight," The commander's raspy voice revealing the sentiment of everyone in the room, "Let the KG handle it. I'll send a squad there directly."

Jak yanked his arm away, puffing his chest slightly, "I'll get there faster. Besides..." He paused momentarily, letting the full effect of his words sink in,"..._you _can't stop me."

It almost sounded like a threat, and Jak's normally bright blue eyes darkened slightly. He shoved past Torn, back to the bed where Daxter was standing. The youth held out his arm for the ottsel to climb up, "Lets go, partner."

Daxter nodded, and pulled himself up to Jak's shoulder. On one hand, he knew Jak should rest. On the other, he knew Jak wouldn't back down, and Daxter was secretly relieved that his best friend had stepped up without question.

"I'll go with you." Keira spoke up, "I'm worried about Tess."

It was Jak's turn to object, but he was abruptly cut short by the Green Sage, "ABSOLUTLY NOT!"

"Daddy, I'm going." Keira stated, "I can help. I'm not useless! We can take a two-seater, and I'll help with the guns!"

Jak frowned. It would be faster if he took a single person zoomer... but Daxter _did_ have a hard time balancing the morph gun over his shoulder when he drove one of those. Still he didn't want to place Keira in any danger.

"I don't think..." Jak began to speak, only to once again be interrupted.

"Oh, _you_ aren't going to stop me either!" Keira pointed a finger, mimicking the tone Jak had used with Torn, "I'm going to keep an eye on_ you,_ and I'm going to make sure Tess is ok! What kind of best friend would I be if I just sat around and she got hurt?"

Jak immediately understood the sentiment, and let out a disgruntled 'hrmph.' He exhaled through his nose, and looked at Daxter, who just shrugged.

"If it'll help, Damas and I will follow and watch yer six." Sig spoke up, startling Jak slightly. Sig had remained so quiet he'd almost forgotten he was there. Damas stood next to him, silently observing the situation, a slight look of shock that the other wastelander had spoken for him. After a second or two, he nodded in agreement. Jak seemed to ignore him.

"Fine. But don't blame me if you get left in the dust." Jak finally agreed, eager to get a move on. He was antsy, and needed to get to his new task. He knew the action and adrenaline would help focus his mind.

Samos let out a sigh, "I will stay here with Onin, and Vin. We'll try to decide our next course of action." He shook his head, looking at Jak sternly, "...and please be careful."

"I'll check out the north districts, and get a rundown on the situation up there." Torn grunted, still sour at Jak. He strode towards the exit.

Ashelin shifted her weight to her other foot as she turned to move, "I'll send out a broadcast telling everyone to stay indoors, and link up with Spargus to see if they've any incidents as well." Ashelin nodded at Sig, who gave her a thumbs up in appreciation, "I'll let you know what I find out."

They dispersed, each setting about eagerly. Jak and his group took an elevator to ground level, and prepared their weapons.

Daxter practically paced in place on his friends shoulder, and Jak gave a comforting hand to try and calm him. The Ottsel nodded in appreciation, and braced himself as they approached the exit.

They could all hear the gunshots and blasts coming from just outside the palace doors. Jak raised his morph-gun, stepping between Keira and the shifting door.

Chaos. Eco blasts shot back and forth, and the smell of burning metal-head and flesh filled Jak's nostrils. He glanced side to side, raising his gun to shoot an approaching enemy as it dashed towards them. He felt the heat coming from his comrades blasters as their own shots whizzed by to find their own targets. He ducked his head low, turned to look at Keira and nodded forward towards a parked two-seater. There was another nearby, and Damas and Sig were already dashing towards it.

"Keep your head down!" Jak yelled, ushering Keira forward, "and don't stop moving unless I tell you too."

Keira nodded, and jogged towards the zoomer. Jak kept pace just on her heels, and she could hear each time he shifted his gun and raised it to fire at a new threat.

The familiar clink of skull gems meeting concrete made Jak's ears twitch, and he found himself wishing he could collect some of them. They made for good trading in the desert. He shoved the thought aside, and shot at a flying metal head just as it swooped towards Keira. He saw her hesitate slightly, but she hadn't stopped moving. 'That's it' he thought, finding himself slightly pleased at the level of trust she had given him.

Not that he didn't think she could defend herself if the need arose. Tess had built her a small custom hand-blaster, and knew the female ottsel had been teaching Keira how to shoot. Of course, Samos wasn't aware of this fact, and that detail amused Jak to no end.

Keira hopped into the zoomer, and immediately set to work on hot wiring it. Within seconds it sprang to life, and Jak spared a moment to stare at her admiringly, his lips forming a small, dumb smile. It reminded her of the first time Jak had seen her little home-made Zoomer back when they were kids.

"Oh don't look so impressed," Keira smiled nostalgically "I know my stuff."

"Fair enough." Jak jumped up into the drivers seat, and passed his gun over to Keira, "Don't loose it."

Keira nodded, and found a comfortable position to hold it. Daxter was sitting between her and Jak to show her how to use the trigger and morph mechanisms. The ottsel braced himself, which Keira found slightly odd, as Jak changed to the upper hover zone.

"Uh, you might wanna hang on to your seat sweet-heart." Daxter warned, pulling his goggles over his eyes.

"Why?" Keira asked, confused.

Jak took a quick look back to see Sig and Damas climbing into their own zoomer. He nodded as they gave him the go ahead.

"Have you ever ridden with Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," Daxter tightly gripped the seat in front of him just as Jak floored it.

Keira found herself barely able to hold on to the blaster, trying desperately to find a good balance. Her face paled slightly as Jak came rushing up on a slower zoomer in front of him, too fast to avoid a crash. She clenched her eyes shut just before impact, and was surprised to feel her stomach churn as they suddenly dropped to the lower hover zone, jerking sideways to dodge a leaping Metal-head.

"Gun!" Jak barked, and Keira snapped her eyes open. Daxter was already moving, balancing himself against Jak, and pulling on the gun to get her to aim it at a flying enemy. She fired, scoring a direct hit just before Jak jerked the zoomer sideways to avoid a KG soldier. They returned to the upper zone just as a spot opened up.

Keira and Daxter continued to shoot at the metal-heads, their gems now clearly visible against the darkening sky.

There was a jolt of Dark Eco energy that shot directly at them, and Jak found himself barely able to drop zones quick enough to dodge. He glanced at the direction it had come from, a rooftop ahead of them.

A Dark-Maker bot glowed against the sky, and crouched, prepared to fire again.

"Shit..." Jak mumbled, but was relieved when the creature was bombarded by covering fire from Sig's peacemaker. Jak raised a hand in appreciation, knowing the wastelanders would see, and pushed the zoomer faster. He was impressed they had managed to keep up so far.

Keira didn't know how Jak could possibly keep control as well as he did. His driving was a jittery collection of pedal to the floor, sudden braking, and jerking every which direction. He had scrapped the vehicles sides against buildings more than once, and had tagged numerous other flying zoomers as well. It reminded her of his racing style.

"Oh." Keira said to herself, realization hitting. She took aim at another Metal-head, and cried out as Jak changed zones, causing her to miss, "Jak, please tell me you don't drive like this all the time!?"

Jak just grinned wide, and Daxter let out an exaggerated sigh, which answered her question in full.

They came up on the port, and Jak hugged the buildings in a hard right towards the Naughty Ottsel. Sig and Damas were trailing behind, held up by the oncoming enemies and Jak's ridiculously dangerous driving.

Daxters stomach dropped as they approached. On the road up to the bar was a swarm of small, scorpion Metal-heads that were zigzagging hectically, overwhelming the few remaining KG soldiers.

In front of the bar, walking towards the barricaded door was a large Dark-Maker Bot. It was surrounded by a few, bounding Metal-heads, almost as if they were protecting it from any oncoming blaster fire. Jak had never seen them do that before, and frowned, "What the hell?"

They were still a ways off, but quickly approaching. Jak took a glance around, then looked up slightly and grinned, "I got an idea."

"What?" Daxter asked, following Jak's gaze. Ahead and slightly above them was a strong, sturdy sewer line surrounded by the usual metal bars and scaffolding that came off of the rooftops and extended over the water. Jak slowed just slightly, but not enough to make either passenger comfortable. He yanked his morph-gun from them, placing it in it's holster on his back.

The youth timed his movements, quickly scooping up Daxter and shoving him onto his shoulder, "Hang on!" Then he grabbed Keira around the waist, heaving up. She held his arm in surprise.

In one fluid motion, Jak kicked the decent button and extended his other hand upward. He quickly used his other leg to propel himself out of the zoomer. It careened out of control, crashing directly into the Dark-maker bot ahead of them.

The creature was toppled, and within seconds the Zoomer exploded, the resulting fire blast wreaking havoc on it and the surrounding metal-heads.

Jak winced in pain, feeling the wound in his back crack open. He almost lost his grip on the pipe, but held fast, pulling Keira up as high as he could, "Climb up, if you can...""

Keira understood, and gripped the pipe above her. She pulled herself up, and with a little help from Jak, managed to heave herself over and onto the scaffolding. Daxter followed her quickly, and Jak used his now free arm to do the same.

He stumbled forward once he got up, gasping for air, "I... I can't believe that... worked..."

Keira was still somewhat shocked, trembling. She looked down at the blazing inferno in front of the bar, and at all the writhing metal-heads caught in the blast.

"What the hell was that!?" Daxter screeched, smacking his friend, "You coulda got us all killed!"

"But I didn't..." Jak replied. He knew it was a dumb stunt, and inwardly scolded himself for putting his friends in danger. A mix of adrenaline and Dark Eco sometimes made him do extremely risky things, but he usually avoided doing them with other people.

Jak brushed it off, and shook his head. He'd think about it later: they weren't done yet. He let loose a smirk as he stood, "It was fun though, wasn't it?"

"You and I have very different definitions of _fun_!" Daxter replied, shuffling forward. He had to admit though, it put them in a very convenient path to the bar's roof access.

"DAMN KID!" Sig's yell rushed by below them, and they skidded to a stop. Damas was almost glaring. He shook his head and pulled out his gun, firing on the Metal-heads that had now noticed their presence. The creatures had begun rushing toward them.

Sig nodded, and joined Damas with his peacemaker, "Get going, and come around to flank them! We'll wipe these guys out in no time!"

Jak nodded as he grabbed Keira's hand, pulling her to her feet "You ok?"

She nodded unsteadily as he dragged her along, over and across the rooftops to the bar. Daxter was already long ahead of them.

They dropped down, just behind the Naughty-Ottsel sign, and Jak unlocked and yanked open the access door. They trudged inside, down the hall, then down the stairs.

Tess was standing on the bar, a humorously over-sized gun aimed at the door. Her ears turned at the sound as they approached, and she quickly aimed the gun on them.

"Whhoooaa babe!" Daxter put his hands up, "I come all this way and this is the greeting I get?"

"Daxter!" Tess smiled, dropping the gun. She bounded forward, embracing him tightly, "My hero!"

"Yeah, right..." Daxter breathed, as she squeezed harder, "Tess, baby, crushing... ack!"

There were several metal-head carcasses on the floor, holes the size of a fist littering their bodies. Tess was clearly handling things just fine on her own.

It looked like the Dark Eco in their blood had already dispersed, and for that, Jak was slightly grateful. He was already edgy, and getting more and more worked up. He didn't want to absorb any more than he had to.

"Stay here, help Tess." He told Keira, jumping over the bar and towards the door, "Oh, and nice shooting!"

Keira slumped onto a stool, still shaking.

"You get used to it." Daxter sighed, "Eventually."

Outside the bar, the battle raged. The KG squad that was sent to the port had been wiped out, and Jak was attempting to use his scatter-gun to thin the growing ranks of Metal-heads. He cursed as he realized the creatures were coming up and out of the murky, dirty water. He had also noticed them crawling out of the sewer man-holes.

Several minutes passed, and Jak felt himself getting more and more desperate, backing into a corner. Sig and Damas were in similar situations, back to back, blasting at anything that came their way.

It looked like it was never going to end. He looked down at his ammo levels, shifting over to to his vulcan mod. He was already out of scatter-gun ammo, and was running dangerously low on everything else.

Jak heard Sig curse, a Metal-head getting too close for comfort. It landed a light blow, opening a small wound on his arm. The wastelander bashed it away with the butt of his gun, then struggled to reload. He and Damas were clearly both almost out of ammo as well.

That's when another Dark-maker bot jumped down off a rooftop to enter the fray. It aimed strait at Jak, and fired. The youth barely had time to dodge, jumping behind an outcrop on the wall.

Jak fired back, then sighed, ammo now completely depleted. He knew that things needed to end quickly. He leaned his head around the corner, and yelled, "Can you guys get back and out of the way?"

Sig looked up, and understood almost immediately. Dark crackling bolts had begun to flicker across Jak's body. He was clearly withholding his transformation, waiting for their answer.

"You sure you're up for that!?" Sig replied, backing away slowly, nodding for Damas to do the same.

Jak grunted, slouching forward slightly. This wasn't like in the temple... he wasn't as lost this time, and felt more conscious of his abilities and control. He was willing the transformation. It was still risky: There was always the chance that he'd loose control _after_ he transformed, but he didn't see much of a choice at the moment. He had yet to hear from any of the others, and there weren't any civilians or KG around for him to accidentally maul.

"Samos said I needed to get rid of some of it anyway, right?" Jak said, a dark attempt at humor, "Just..."

His bones shifted as he began to transform, and he cringed, letting a small cry escape from his lips. Transforming was always painful. His hair began to fade to white, and he could feel the warmth leaving his skin.

But with the pain came power. An addicting, dark, all encompassing power that felt amazing. He wanted that power. It made his heart pound, and his mind go numb... but he wanted it all. He felt it surging, and knew he wouldn't be able to speak much longer, so he bellowed out what he could, "Get... somewhere... Just in... case..."

"You got it kid! We'll cover you!" Sig replied, already moving, "Just be careful!"

Jak let out a raspy scream, teeth becoming fangs, nails becoming long, black claws. His eyes glossed over to black, irises vanishing completely. His horns appeared, cracking painfully from the skin on his scalp. Even the Metal-heads had paused to watch.

Voilet bolts of Eco raced across the ground at his feet. His mind became murky, and his thoughts focused on a single thing: kill them. Kill all of these annoying, disgusting things.

Even when Jak 'controlled' his dark form, it wasn't in the sense that he was completely aware of his actions. He could never really full control Dark Jak, and he knew that now. It just meant that he could focus the rage in one direction. He couldn't stop the need to viciously rip apart his enemies... but he could have some tiny amount of reason, some reminder that not _everything_ was an threat. Some things, some people, they were insignificant, weak, and could be ignored. He was able to focus more on his more destructive Dark Eco abilities as well, rather than just mauling everything that came his way. Once the threats were gone, he'd typically change right back.

The most important thing was that when Jak had 'control', Dark Jak would hesitate at a familiar face: and that meant everything.

Dark Jak stood, daring any of the creatures to come his way. A brave Metal-head leapt, and was sliced clean in two. Several more attempted to surround him, and were just as quickly disposed. Dark Jak yelled, leaping forward, claws outstretched.

Further down the road Sig and Damas watched, heads peaked up over a balcony, guns aimed to snipe any Metal-heads that approached them, the bar, or tried to flank Dark Jak. Neither had much ammo left, but they both continued to take the occasional support shot.

Damas had only seen the transformation once before, in the Spargus arena. It was a brief moment, so he had never had time to fully observe Dark Jak's true ferocity. Here, it was in plain sight. He was both intrigued, and mortified. He couldn't imagine the methods used to create this dark creature... the anguish that birthed it. And knowing it was his son? It pained him. He knew of the Dark Eco experiments, had heard the stories, but wondered if they even did the real events justice. Dark Jak was hate, fear, and devastation, all trapped in the twisted, scared body of a young man. It made him an unbeatable warrior, but at what cost?

He watched as Dark Jak tore a Metal-head in two at the jaw, and threw it at the Dark-maker bot with a challenging roar. He'd received a few blows and shots, but none that had slowed him in any noticeable way. He was constantly absorbing Dark Eco from the foes he killed, fueling the nightmarish destruction. Finally, it seemed as though the numbers were waning. The vile creatures were no longer appearing from the water, and were no longer surging in from alleyways and sewers.

It seemed like Dark Jak had made the same realization somewhere deep in his mind, changing focus to the Dark-maker bot. He jumped high, and strong, flashing cracks of Dark Eco surged all around him. He'd unleash all his Dark Eco in one, overwhelming blow.

"Oh, shit, head down!" Sig yelled, and they both ducked behind the ledge.

Damas heard an explosion, and felt the shock-wave of Dark Eco in his bones. It was as if lightning had struck mere feet from him, and it caused a dull, throbbing headache. After a few seconds he and his fellow wastelander glanced back up, towards the fight.

In all, it had only truly lasted a few minutes, but the devastation that was left behind would have suggested a much longer fight. It was hard to believe that it was all caused by one individual, and that thought alone was slightly terrifying.

Dark Jak stood in the center of the destruction, pieces of Metal-head and Dark-maker bot strewn about his feet in a twisted, gory mess. He was hunched forward, swaying slightly, and looking towards the ground. His breathing was strained, various bruises and scrapes littered his arms and face, but already seemed to be healing. He was momentarily oblivious to the world around him.

He stumbled forward, onto his knees, bringing one hand to his forehead, and using the other to support his weight. With a somewhat sickening crack, his body twisted slightly as he began to regain color, his horns receding, and claws reverting to normal fingernails. He clenched his jet black eyes closed, and let out a weak gasp. Slowly he leaned back, sitting on his knees.

Jak could tell that Sig and Damas had already begun to approach from his front, and he could hear Daxter's paws racing across the ground from behind. His senses were always heightened even further for a short time after he would change back. He could smell the wreckage that surrounded him, mixed with Dark Eco and pollution. It made him want to gag, but he held it back. He put his hands on his knees and slouched his head forward, between his shoulders. He was beat.

He had burned through most of the Dark Eco in his body, and even though he ached and struggled to catch his breath... that felt kinda good. His mind, somewhat murky from the transformation, began to clear, and he could feel his heart slowly settle into a steady rhythm.

He sighed, and weakly pushed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly as he did so. He stumbled backward, and slowly made his way towards a wall. He leaned against it for support. He was lucky there were no more enemies around, knowing he'd never be able to defend himself in this state.

Daxter made it to him a few seconds before the wastelanders did. Jak looked down at him, and let out a half grunt, half cough, "Hey, bud... everything ok at the bar?"

Daxter nodded, slightly relieved that Jak appeared to be relatively fine. He was recovering from his transformation, and was taking in his surroundings.

"You ok, cherry?" Sig asked as he trotted to a stop, a few feet away from where Jak was standing. Damas slowed and halted silently behind him, unable to hide the brief flash of concern on his face.

Jak groaned weakly, but gave a thumbs up. He tried to stretch his back, and everyone around him grimaced as they heard the bones in his body pop and crack. He winced slightly, "Fine... I'm fine. Just give me a minute."

Several seconds later Jak slowly began walking towards the Naughty Ottsel, occasionally using the wall to hold himself up. The others all followed, Sig offered to help support him as he walked, but Jak turned it down, "I'm ok... really. Just... I used a lot of Eco. I'm tired. It's been a while since..."

"You transformed at the temple." Sig reminded him.

"Different." Jak replied, "I didn't burn nearly the same amount of Dark Eco... and absorbed a lot more while I was there. I also slept all day afterward... and I used most of my L..." He caught himself, and stopped, taking a sharp breath. He changed the subject, "Anyone hear from Ash or Torn?"

"We can call em when we get inside." Daxter suggested, "You look like you need a drink. Something special. Tess'll whip you up something nasty."

Jak almost smiled, and nodded, "Sounds good."

***  
Torn flew his modified Hellcat over the northern half of the city, scouring the streets below. It had taken a _lot _of work, and a lot of KG troops, but they had finally beaten back the majority of the attackers. The New Haven district was nearly cleared out, as well as most of the canal district. He had heard reports of some stragglers in the bazaar, and industrial districts, but his troops now had them under control.

The Stadium district was still the biggest problem. It would probably take several hours to recapture that area, but all and all things were looking better.

They'd have to be more prepared from now on. Who knew how often these tears were going to start opening up? Before it was just minor earthquakes that no one even paid attention to. Now? Now they had Dark-Makers and Metal-heads and poisonous Dark Eco invading from another time-line.

"Just when I thought things might settle down..." Torn sighed, activating his com-link, "Ash?"

Ashelin's voice drifted through, "How's it looking commander?"

"Better. The stadium is still pretty hot, but otherwise it's under control. You hear anything?"

"The gardens and middle districts are all but clear. Daxter called a little bit ago. They cleared out the port... I guess it was pretty serious down there. They said your squad was pretty much dead before they got there."

"Damn..." Torn frowned, "We lost a lot of good guys in the rest of the city too."

"I know." Ashelin stated, "We'll talk about preparations for that tomorrow. We'll get a headcount..." She drifted off, and torn could have sworn he heard a small sob escape her voice.

"Ash?" Torn inquired gently.

She cleared her throat, "I... uh, I'm fine. I'm just stressed, I thought things were getting better..."

Torn exhaled deeply, "Yeah, I know. There's always something. I'm going to do one last circle then I'm coming home. Take a break, I'll see you when I get there."

The line went dead and Torn swore, pushing the Hellcat to go faster. He knew how she felt. Everything had been slowing down and getting more and more peaceful over the past two years. Maybe it was their fault for getting lazy. It just seemed ridiculous. After all the bullshit they had already been through...

He kicked the console, and directed the Hellcat back towards the Palace. He needed a shower, a drink, and a good night's sleep.  
***

Keira sighed, leaning back on her stool. Ashelin had just called to tell her that the stadium was till overrun. Sig had been renting one of the rooms at the bar for the past few days, and had already went to bed. The rest of the rooms were filled with people who had come in to escape the Metal-heads.

Tess had already gone to bed. She'd have to ask Daxter if she could crash on their couch, but he was no-where to be seen.

Jak hunched over the bar slightly, tiredly drinking something that smelled entirely too strong. He sighed, but didn't look up, "You... uh... you can just crash in my apartment."

Keira looked up, a bit suprised, "Really?"

Jak couldn't help but blush slightly. It was a mix of genuine embarrassment, and his slight buzz. He wasn't drunk by any real means, but the alcohol had helped numb the pain from his back, and calm him down. "Yeah. I don't use my bed anyway. You can take it."

He stood, finishing off his drink, "I'm gonna head up. I need a shower. I'll leave the door unlocked... just come up when you get tired."

Keira nodded, and watched him leave. He used a hand to steady himself against the wall as he climbed the stairs behind the bar, still exhausted. She sat in silence for a bit, finished her drink, then followed.

Damas observed Jak from a secluded booth. The youth had yet to look him in the eyes, and truly acknowledge him. He wondered about the relationship between him, and the Damas of this world. Was it strained? Jak knew of his heritage, knew he was the prince, but no one had said a word about it.

Damas knew his counterpart was dead, and found himself wondering once again how that had happened. He wondered when it happened. There were many questions, but he hadn't had the time to ask, or even contemplate if he should.

A small, orange and yellow hand appeared at the end of the table, and Daxter pulled himself up with a little jump. He looked up at Damas, who nodded in greeting.

"Hey pops." Daxter said unceremoniously, "He'll come around. Just give him a bit."

Damas took a swig of his drink.

"I am... not his actual father." Damas admitted, looking back up the stairs, "I was the father to another version of him."

"Eh... yeah, you said he died right?" Daxter asked, "Who the heck let that happen?"

Damas wondered if he should even say. His world had already caused enough damage to this one, and he didn't know if the excess knowledge was necessary. On the other hand, he realized they were already in this deep, and it probably didn't matter at this point.

He also felt like he should help where he could. He wouldn't say he felt responsible... but felt it necessary. He was no longer a king who demanded loyalty. Instead, he was a warrior who felt the need to protect what he had lost in his own world.

"It was... Veger had gone mad when the weapon in the catacombs was destroyed, and he lost his chance to become a god. He disappeared, and we all thought he was gone. About a year ago he resurfaced, and got a hold of, well, you."

Daxter gulped, "Me?"

"Yes. Well, my world's version of you anyway." Damas replied, "At that point, we had already pretty much lost the war. Many of our comrades and loved ones were already dead, and the world had already begun its slow decent into destruction. Regardless, we fought on. During a small skirmish in Haven, Jak had taken a hard fall, and you had slipped from his shoulder . No one was close enough to reach either of you before Veger appeared. He managed to grab you while you were still dazed."

Damas made a crushing motion with his fist, and Daxter groaned, feeling sick.

"Jak was never the same, and would likely never have truly recovered. I never again saw real life in his eyes. He blamed himself for your death."

Daxter slouched, ears low. Damas gave him a 'should I continue?' look.

"What happened to Jak?" Daxter asked quietly, even though it was just the two of them in the bar. Torn had sent a few KG soldiers to keep watch outside, but in here, it was just them. Everyone else had gone to bed.

"Veger allied himself with Erol. They set a trap: one that they knew Jak would walk right into. He wanted his revenge. I couldn't stop him, so instead, I went with him."

Damas cursed under his breath, "We were foolish. He was hellbent, and I arrogant. They managed to separate us, and I don't know how, but they cut off his ability to access to the Eco in his body. I found them just as..."

Daxter frowned, but didn't interrupt.

"They had waited for me to arrive. They laughed about how we were so incredibly weak, and they had won. I could do nothing. He was right in front of me, but still separated from my reach. Erol had already beaten him nearly senseless, and held him still as Veger executed him in cold blood. I... If only I had been quicker. In my youth I may have been able to reach them in time..."

Damas stayed silent for a moment, looking into his drink, "I didn't even know he was my son until Veger started to gloat. He told me about how he had taken my son for his experiments, lost him, and how my son had been sent back in time with the S_age_." Damas practically hissed the last word, "The same Sage who never felt the need to mention any of this to us before."

"Shit." Daxter fell back into a seated position, and stroked his ears back, "Sounds like Samos."

Damas wondered why he had revealed so much. Perhaps he just needed someone to know? Was he truly that weak and sentimental these days?

"What happened to Veger?" Daxter asked, morbidly curious.

"Erol killed him, claiming he no longer needed him." Damas shrugged, "He was lucky. I would not have been as merciful."

"Huh." Daxter finally spoke up, "It's a little similar."

The warrior gave him an inquisitive look, slightly turning his head.

"Eh..." The ottsel looked behind him, towards the stairs. Damas knew he was making sure Jak wasn't present, "Uh, this world Damas came to give us backup against the Dark-makers. He brought the wastelanders to help defend Haven." Daxter paused, "Jak was driving, and you, um, he, was gunning. We almost made it to the catacombs, where Jak was going to activate the weapon. Veger caught us off guard with a huge Eco blast. It flipped the buggy, and you... er... he, sorry... got pinned under it. It was...eihhh. There wasn't anything we could do. Jak tried, but..."

Damas listened, hand on his chin, and nodded. He knew the damage one of the heavy desert buggies could cause if it flipped. He had seen it with the marauders, and even some of his own wastelanders.

"You died in Jak's arms..." Daxter stopped, deciding to give up on correcting himself. "Before you died, you asked Jak to find your son... and handed him the Mar seal thingy."

Daxter sighed, "Jak recognized it, remembered seeing it on the Kid... er... younger him... before he had been sent back in time. He tried to say something, but it was too late. Jak kinda lost it after that. I think he still blames himself. Then that son of a bitch _Vulgar_ showed up and blabbed pretty much the same way he did with you."

Damas shared the same inquiry as Daxter, "What happened to this Veger?"

"Eh, he made it to the catacombs, and the Precursors granted his wish to become one of them. Only..." At this point the ottsel actually gave a small smile, "He didn't know they were, you know, fuzzy orange rats." He motioned to himself flamboyantly. "He wasn't happy, naturally. Kleiver forced him to hang around for a bit, and a few months later he got chomped good by a Metal head."

"Fitting." Damas snickered, "Though he deserved worse."

"Yeah. Just... don't tell Jak I told ya." Daxter replied, "He'd skin me if he found out."

Damas nodded, "It doesn't change the fact that I am still not his actual father."

Daxter sighed, "Uhg, You guys are just hopeless! It doesn't seem to matter to you though does it? You seem pretty intent on looking at him like he's gonna freaking vanish at any minute. Plus... you're still kinda the same people right? I mean, sure, you're older and more round around the middle..." The ottsel made a bulging motion with his hands.

Damas glared.

"And he's, well, alive... and still dark and broody, and all that jazz... but eh, you're both just copies of the same people you knew." Daxter shrugged, "Kinda lucky. Sorta a second chance?"

Damas was taken aback. He had never realized that Daxter had the potential to be so... philosophical? Usually when he was with Jak he just talked, and talked, and talked... it was maddening at times. The ottsel was far more complicated than he let on.

"But you listen here!" Daxter pointed, "You do anything to piss him off, and I'll shove those little, weird, head spike... things... of yours so far up your... well, you get the picture."

***  
Jak cringed, looking in the mirror. He had just stepped out of the shower, and had tried to take the opportunity to look at the re-opened gash on his back. He stood on his tip toes, and tried to turn his head far enough to study the reflection. He couldn't get a good view, no matter how he stood. He was just too short. He could feel the blood seeping down his back, and he quickly wrapped a towel around himself. He would just have to try and bandage it as is...

"Jak, I'm here, ok?" Keira called out, voice echoing through the apartment.

"Uh, yeah... ok..." Jak replied, eyeing a small bottle of green Eco he had on the shelf. He had no idea how he would even attempt to apply it, and couldn't just channel it like in the old days. He sighed, deciding to forgo it. His wound wasn't that bad... he'd just bandage it up and call it a day. It'd probably close up again on it's own by morning.

He clumsily unrolled a long strip of bandage, and tried to hastily wrap it around his body. He winced, it was incredibly awkward. He was never good at this, and really wished Daxter was there to help. The angle of the gash meant he had to go both over the shoulder, and under his arms. He did the best he could, got frustrated, and gave up. Then looked around for his shirt...

"Dammit..." He mumbled. In his stupor he'd left it on the floor in his room. He knew Keira was probably coming in, why did he just leave it out there? Why didn't he least grab another shirt? He did have his pants, so he quickly pulled them on and draped the towel over his upper body, pulling it tight.

Keira was sitting quietly on the couch, looking around the mostly bare apartment. She'd never actually been in here before, and was uncomfortably wondering what she should do. Jak had said she could sleep on his bed... but she didn't want to impose, she was perfectly capable of crashing on the couch.

Jak slowly shuffled out of the bath-room, glancing up at her has he passed. He looked embarrassed, which in turn confused her.

"Sorry..." He began to shuffle past, through the living area, and towards his bedroom when Keira noticed a small, but growing blood stain on his towel.

"Jak!" She jumped up, quickly moving towards him.

He was caught off guard, and backed up towards his kitchen, "What, what's wrong?"

"You're bleeding!" Keira said. She had moved quicker than he expected, and was now standing between him, and the entrance to his bedroom.

Jak straightened his back, dread kicking in, "No, er, yeah, but I'm fine."

"Let me take a look, daddy taught me a little..." Keira began, reaching up to his towel.

"No!" Jak replied bitterly, stepping back. He ended up bumping his back hard against the cabinet behind him. He winced, and steadied himself.

"Jak...?" Keira looked confused, then looked rejected, "Why are you so afraid of me?"

Jak's anger dappeared, replaced by uncertainty. He didn't know how to handle this situation. He shook his head, and cursed at himself for being unable to react like a normal person. His face flushed, "I'm... I'm not, Keira."

Jak sighed. If anyone else, except Daxter, had been in his face like this he would be furious, and they'd probably be on the floor. But Keira... Jak had stopped being mad at her a long time ago. She felt so familiar, so comforting. Everything from her haircut to the smell of grease that never seemed to completely go away. It reminded him of when they were younger. It reminded him of how he felt back then. This, combined with his exhaustion and lack of balance... he didn't want to fight her. He just wanted to hide.

He had the biggest crush on her as kids. Daxter had teased him constantly. He wanted nothing more than to be something more with her. Back then, he thought, maybe... she felt the same way.

But now...

"I'm just a monster." He whispered to himself, then his eyes widened, mortified when he realized he had actually said it out loud.

Keira was shocked, and her mind blanked, "What?"

Jak shook his head, gently shoving past her toward the couch. He was silently screaming at himself for saying that. He sat, towel still pulled tightly around his body.

Keira slowly shuffled over, and sat next to him. Barely above a whisper, she sighed, "You're not."

Jak groaned, hanging his head in shame.

"I know I said something like that once... and I was really, really stupid." Keira continued, "I was selfish, and stupid."

Jak turned to look at her, his face giving just the hint of surprise, studying her. He didn't think she was stupid. He knew he was unstable, knew he was dangerous. His biggest fear was loosing control and waking up with the blood of someone he cared about on his hands.

"I wish I could take it all back. I was so horrible." Keira choked, "Honestly, I'm surprised you still talk to me."

Jak shook his head, "It's true though. I used to be a hero... now I turn into a monster and I... I'm not the same as I was before, I won't ever be."

"That's just it Jak," Keira replied, "You don't have to be. It was dumb of me to be so shocked. It had been two years, and I... I still don't know exactly what happened to you. Suddenly you showed up again, and you were so different... you were even _talking_. I'd never, ever heard you talk before. It kinda freaked me out, which, I mean, is no excuse. Instead of trying to find out what happened, instead of trying to help you, I pushed you away because I was a little brat who didn't think about anyone but herself I listened to some stupid rumors, instead of just asking you the truth."

"Keira..."

"No." She shrugged, "You don't _have_ to be the same exact person. None of us do, everyone changes when they grow up. That doesn't mean you aren't still _Jak_. You still have those experiences, still have the same memories. You're still, you know, _you_... you're also still a hero. You've saved everyone's asses how many times now? Attitude and all."

He silently listened, turning his head back down to stare at the floor.

She kicked her legs in a mock temper-tantrum, "Ugh, even I'm confused now. I'm sorry. I don't know how to say it." She sighed, "I was just stupid, ok? That's all you really need to know. I mean, I know I don't understand you sometimes, but I would really, really like to try."

They were silent for a few moments, and Keira was unable to read his features. He had a hollow look on his face, and his shoulders slumped in a defeated way she had never seen before. She stood, looking down at him, "Do you want me to go? I can go..."

He didn't reply. She turned to leave, but was stopped by his hand lightly grabbing her wrist. He still couldn't look her in the eye. All he did was shake his head.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and gave him a light hug. She felt him tense up, unused to this type of interaction. He let out a small, quiet sigh, and gave in.

Sure, they'd gone on little dates, and she'd hugged him before, but this was the first time Jak had ever felt vulnerable while she did it. He was so clueless on how he _should_ react. How did normal people react? He sighed, and just let her hold his head against her chest. He could hear her heartbeat, which was nice.

They sat like that for a few moments, and finally Keira spoke up, "Jak... I really don't want to spoil the moment...Please let me help you. You're starting to bleed on the couch."

Jak pulled away slightly, meeting her gaze for a split second, then turning away. What if she saw his scars, and got freaked out? What if she decided he really was a monster after all?

Then his thoughts went in a different direction: It was his past. His torment... no one knew, and that was how he wanted it. The scars were caused partially by a man she had _defended_ when Jak tried to tell her what kind of lunatic he was. Where was she when he was locked in the fortress? Where was she when her _boyfriend... _When Erol... cut him open time and time again? When he struggled, shackles cutting into his wrists and ankles, to escape the oncoming Dark-Eco experiments. She never came... none of them did! The only one that cared enough to try and save him was Daxter. Daxter came through. Daxter got him out, and tried to help him rebuild his shattered psyche... She didn't do anything. He felt anger flash across the surface, and fought to suppress it.

He glared at her, eyes flashing, taking a sharp breath.

She just looked hurt. Tears began to form in her eyes and just as suddenly as it had appeared, Jak's rage melted away. He was secretly glad he had burned away so much Dark Eco earlier... it helped him reason with himself. He gently felt for the Light-Eco inside, to feel it's comfort and give him more resolve.

No. It wasn't her fault. Of course it wasn't her fault. He looked up at her. She was smart, and strong, and brave. She had come through in a pinch for him so many times.

And he wanted so desperately to be over this, to be able to accept help.

He brought his hand up to run his fingers through his hair at his forehead. Then he pulled his knees up, feet now resting on the edge of the couch. He exhaled slowly, "I'm sorry... Ok. Ok, yeah."

Keira and sat next to him. He still held the towel tightly, hesitating.

"Um..." He paused, that same look of shame returning to his face, "Gloves. They're in the bathroom, under the sink."

"I just want to take a look, and I'll be careful. You know I'm not afraid of a little blood Jak... I used to help my dad patch both you and Daxter up all the time, remember?"

"No, it's not that..." Jak paused, closing his eyes.

Keira looked confused, unsure of what he was trying to get at.

"There's uh, gonna be Dark Eco..."

"Oh... Ohhhhh." She got up, mentally smacking herself as she headed into the bathroom. She should have known that. Her father had only mentioned it a million times... No wonder Jak was so nervous around her. She was being an idiot. She spied the extra bandages and Green Eco, and collected those. She wasn't a healer like her father, and had no talent for channeling Green Eco, but he had taught her little things here and there about how Green Eco worked, and how to apply bandages and medicines.

She grabbed the gloves and returned, pulling them over her fingers. Sitting again, she gently pushed on his shoulder, indicating that he should turn so she could get a good look at his back and side. He stiffly complied, turning, but never really looking away from her. His eyes weren't focused directly on her, but Keira could tell he was watching her nervously.

"I couldn't really get it by myself..." Jak admitted sheepishly, "Daxter usually helps."

She nodded pulling slightly on the edge of the towel, and he tensed. She could tell he was scared of something... Finally, he relented, and let her pull it away.

Her first reaction was to mentally giggle at the horrible bandaging job Jak had done. The only reason it seemed like he was bleeding out so badly was because he had missed covering half the wound. It was slowly seeping blood, but it wasn't gushing as much as it at first appeared.

Then her eyes began to wander. At first Keira was shocked, a slightly twisted sense of awe overwhelming her senses. There was so much scarring... some looked like they were caused by sharp objects, others by burns, and still others she couldn't even guess. She thoughtlessly pulled a hand up to run her fingers down a particularly long, jagged scar that followed beside his spine. She felt his muscles tighten in response, his breath stopped.

This is why he was so adamant about keeping her at a distance. This was why Daxter had fought her father earlier when they had tried to take of Jak's shirt...

She realized she was looking at something incredibly taboo to Jak... and immediately felt like an jerk for pushing so hard earlier.

"I'm so stupid..." She whispered. Jak still hadn't released his held breath, and she could see a flash of fear enter his eyes. She shook her head, putting a steady hand on his forearm "I'm sorry Jak. Are you ok?"

It wasn't the question he was expecting, and he almost choked in surprise. He turned to look at her. He was certain she would freak out, and was preparing to accept her rejection. Only, she didn't freak out... didn't back away. He didn't know how to answer.

Keira suddenly smiled, "Ok Then. Ok, lets get this bandage taken off, and done right." She pulled at the spot he had tied it, "This... isn't how you put on a bandage, Jak."

He shook his head, trying to focus, "I... Like I said... Dax usually does it."

"That's a horrible excuse!" She said, as playfully as she could muster, "Just be glad my dad didn't see this rush job. You'd be in for it then."

She quietly went to work, occasionally her eyes wandering to another scar on his body. She didn't say anything about them though, and every time he looked at her she teased him, or gave him a silly look.

She got up to rummage through his medicine cabinet, returning with a large patch, "you aren't bleeding as bad as I thought. You won't need as much of the strip bandages if we put this on first.

She used the sink to dampen the towel, and cleaned around the wound. Looking closer she could see small, flowing swirls of Dark Eco in his blood. She frowned slightly, but continued, trying to see how well it had already begun to heal. Her father, and Jak's natural ability to heal, had already done most of the work. It just needed a little touch up.

Nodding in approval, she grabbed the small jar of green Eco, and uncorked it, "Lean forward so it doesn't get all over the place," She instructed.

He complied, and she noticed that he had braced himself tightly. He closed his eyes, and nodded.

She slowly poured, and then pulled back immediately when he let out a sudden, pain induced gasp. His knuckles were white, and he was clenching his knees.  
He let loose a few, strain filled laughs, to try and ease tension. "Sorry, I shoulda warned you...Go ahead, I'm ok. "

Keira shook her head, and hesitated. Before this moment she hadn't really given much thought to it, but now she remembered her father talking about how Jak couldn't channel anything but Dark Eco anymore. It made her kinda feel like crying. Jak used to _love_ channeling Eco. He was immensely talented at it, and the three of them used to spend countless hours goofing off and getting into trouble. He used to be able to channel Green Eco, a little less disciplined than her father of course, but still exceptionally well. He would have never cringed in pain from it back then.

"It's ok, Keira. It just stings a bit..." Jak said, turning his gaze away from her.

"It looks like it stings a _lot._" Keira replied quietly, watching how the Eco burned his skin.

Jak just shrugged, and nodded his head to the side, indicating she should continue.

She did. Luckily, the wound didn't need much, and after a few uneasy seconds it had stopped bleeding.

Jak stretched, testing the muscles. It already felt better. By morning he probably wouldn't even need the bandage.

She applied the patch with a bit of medical tape, then cocked her head to the side, "Actually, I don't think you'll need the strip bandages as long as this holds up ok tonight."

She continued to poke and prod a bit, making sure it was secure. Jak stayed silent, simply observing intently. He had slowly started to retreat back into an uncomfortable unease, his thoughts racing back and forth. His exhaustion had returned, in full force, and he didn't have the mental fortitude for hard reasoning.

Keira noticed, and placed a loving hand on his shoulder. She gave a small squeeze, and teased "Can't even handle a little bandage. Man, where would you be without me?"

Jak's mind finally gave up, and he moved suddenly. He put his strong arms around her shoulders, and pulled her close. His head rested on her left shoulder, and he cupped the back of her head with his right hand, fingers sliding through her hair. His other hand was on her back, holding her tightly.

She was caught so off guard she let of a small gasp, trying to turn her head to see his face. She couldn't, instead, focusing on his deep, but insecure breathing. She thought he might be crying, but couldn't actually tell.

He didn't move, just sat there in silence, as if he was afraid to let her go.

She carefully hugged back, surprised to notice that he was trembling slightly, "Hey, I'm not going anywhere, ok?"

After a few seconds he slowly nodded, "I'm so tired Keira..."

She knew he meant something other than physically tired. He'd been through so much, and it wasn't fair that the world just kept thrusting him back into the fray. She wished she could do something to help him, feeling useless.

"I'm here." She replied. He didn't speak, but also still didn't move. She continued to comfort him, "I'm not going to run away ever again."

* * *

**Authors note: **Sorry for being such a sap!


	6. Chapter 5

**Authors notes: **Hey all! Thanks again for the reviews. This chapter took me a bit longer because I had a lot of interesting things happen this past week. I worked on some Fan-art, if anyone's interested in seeing it it's on my tumblr (address on my profile)

Oh, and I got engaged!

Anywhoots. I've gone through and re-edited all the previous chapters to get rid of errors or wonky sentences.

Oblique Strategies: Hmm... I guess you're just going to have to wait and see what happens with Damas and his original world :) Thanks for pointing out the spelling error. I've gone through and fixed every instance I came across of it.

Katpet: Thanks for reviewing! I know exactly how that is, I sit in my bed on my phone reading. I usually _plan_ on going to bed at a decent hour, but that never happens.

Shaveza: The model always bugged me for Keira. She had no update what-so-ever, and it seems like after Ashelin was introduced, they never bothered to actually address Keira properly again.

Ok, on with the Chapter. Its an action filled one. Yay!.

CHAPTER FIVE

* * *

Keira woke up when the light from the small, slotted window had managed to make it's way across her eyes. She attempted to roll over, but was still trapped in Jak's arms. She'd managed to convince him to lay down in the bed, which was something he was incredibly reluctant to do. Eventually he agreed, but had still refused to let her go. She'd at least gotten him to allow her to take off her jacket.

The look he had given her... She realized he was terrified that she was just going to leave once he fell asleep. She had promised she would still be there when he woke up.

She turned her head to look at his face. He was still asleep, and his features had finally relaxed into a more peaceful state. The way he was now, Keira could see just how baby-faced he appeared. He didn't look like the angry, hardened warrior he had been forced to become... instead he reminded her of the boy that had been lost several years ago.

Keira knew that Jak must have been incredibly mentally exhausted the previous night. His mind had pretty much tapped out and couldn't handle trying to keep up his usual rough and tumble attitude. She hoped he wouldn't be too upset about it when he woke up.

She tried to shuffle into a more comfortable position. The mechanic felt his grip slightly tighten, and she sighed. The blanket that had been on the bed was thin, a little scratchy, and Keira didn't know how Jak could stand it against his bare skin. Still, she had slept pretty well, and had felt safe wrapped up in Jak's arms.

Then she began to think about his scars. She realized most of them had probably come from his time in the prison... and the thought made her sick. Jak was so young when been taken, barely a teenager. She couldn't imagine how anyone could be sick enough to do that to another person... let alone a kid.

Baron Praxis and Erol had done it.

Keira frowned, and closed her eyes. Erol had seemed so nice to her... had lied to her when she asked him to help find Jak. He had told her that he'd keep an eye out, and help in any way that he could... and she believed him. She believed him every time he said there was no news. She had no idea of the truth. No idea that every time he had come to see her, there was a chance he had just returned from torturing Jak.

She choked back a sob. She had been so mean to Jak. She had called him a liar when he tried to warn her about Erol.

Jak's eyes slowly shifted open, and he looked a bit confused, then immediately concerned. He lifted his arm from around her, pushing himself up to get a better look at her face, "Keira...?" A small look of panic filled his eyes, "I don't... I... Did I do something?"

Keira pushed herself up to a seated position, and wiped her eyes, "No... No, Jak. It was me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was so stupid."

He still looked confused, trying to piece together the events from the night before. He didn't remember much after Keira had finished bandaging him up. He got bits and pieces of her trying to calm him down, trying to make him sleep... he'd been a big baby the whole time.

He suddenly felt embarrassed about the way he had acted, and felt his face flush, "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who freaked out last night."

Keira shook her head, and smiled, "No. Not last night. Before... back when you tried to tell me about..." She trailed off.

Jak scanned her face for a few seconds, then realized what she was trying to say. He frowned. He pushed away the feeling of annoyance that had surfaced, instead focusing on his desire to comfort her. He wasn't good at comfort, but tried anyway.

"Don't. Just, stop. That was a long time ago, and I'm over it." It was at least partially true. He wasn't angry at her about it anymore, and it _had_ been a long time. Unfortunately he'd probably never really be over it.

She had stopped crying, and turned to face him, "I'm still sorry." She gently put her arms around his shoulders, and gave him a tight hug. He felt his right hand rest on her waist, and continued to support himself with his left.

He realized he was still shirtless, and felt a little uneasy. With a bit of a mental struggle, he ignored it, and shook his head, "Just forget about it."

She didn't reply, but continued to hug him. He brought his hand up to slowly rub her back, then sighed. Was this helping? Was he really so useless when it came to stuff like this?

Keira pushed back to look him in the eye. She shook her head slightly, looking down, "I'm just tired of being useless. I want to help. I want to make up for what I did."

"Keira..." His hand had returned to her waist, "I... You've never been useless. Ever. You built a zoomer out of scrap back when we were still in Sandover! They barely had running water back then, and you had built a freaking zoomer."

He shook his head, "You modified a ton of precursor artifacts, and without you, I never would have been able to even make it to Gol and Maia. Then when we ended up here, you still managed to make things work. You built a hover-board. A hover-board Keira. Do you know how much I love that thing? How many jams it got me out of?"

Keira smiled. Jak had a look of excitement that was a little contagious. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but held his tongue.

"I wasn't there when you needed me the most." Keira replied, still upset with herself, "I can't ever take that back. I just want to try and be here _now._"

Jak sighed, unsure of what else he could say. He hated the fact that part of his mind felt like she was right. She hadn't been there when he had been captured. The other part of his mind fought back, and he pulled her back into a hug, trying desperately to console her. "It wasn't your fault." He was saying it as much to himself as he was to her.

They sat for a few moments, and Keira felt Jak sigh, "...I'm no good at this stuff."

Keira couldn't help but give a small laugh. He had made her feel better, and she forced away the feeling of self pity. Neither of them needed that right now, "Sorry, I'm just being dumb. I'm done now."

He slowly let her go, and she backed up, stretching her arms and looking around the room. It was pretty small. There was barely enough room for the bed and dresser, and it had nearly no decoration. She hadn't really taken a good look the previous night.

Jak pulled himself out of the bed, stretching his back as he stood. His body ached slightly, and his joints protested. He frowned. He had barely any Eco in his system, and it made his body sluggish. Having such a small amount of Dark Eco had helped his disposition tremendously, but his body still depended on it to function now. At least it wasn't overpowering the little bit of Light-Eco as much anymore.

"Hey," Keira said, leaning across the bed on her side, "Sit down for a sec, and let me check out the bandage."

Jak nodded, and sat, legs hanging over the side of the bed.

"How's it feel?" Keira asked, feeling around the edge of the bandage. It hadn't come loose anywhere overnight.

Jak shrugged, and answered honestly, "It's a little sore.. but fine."

She pulled on an edge, slowly peeling back the bandage. She was a little surprised by what she saw, "It's almost completely healed. Hard to believe you got it a day and a half ago..."

Jak nodded, a little self consciously. It was just another thing to remind him that he was different, "Uh, yeah. I, uh... I heal really fast... using Green Eco just makes it go even faster."

Keira nodded understandingly, and pulled herself up to sit next to him.

He looked at her with an unreadable expression. He still didn't know how he should feel. He was oddly at peace with her being there, which kinda confused him. It had been so long since he was comfortable being around anyone other than Daxter that he didn't quite recognize the feeling.

He absentmindedly brought his arms up to hide some of his body. He was still a little shaken, a little off put, but it was fading, and was slowly being replaced by contentedness.  
***

'There it is...' Vin thought to himself, 'what is that!?'

He could feel it. Something was draining Eco from the grid. It wasn't constant, but had definitely increased over the past couple of days. The data... it wasn't right.

He scanned, desperate to find the source. He met a firewall, and would have laughed out-loud if he had still had a body to do so. It was child's play to break through.

'Whatever this is... it's sloppy.' Vin continued, tracing the signals through the ever expanding grid. Trying to explain to anyone else how this worked, what he was now, was impossible. They weren't able to understand.

It didn't bother him in the least. He was happier this way, part of something infinity greater. There was so much information, so much control, so much time... And he was _confident_ there. He was still jumpy, still acted paranoid, but he had never felt as powerful as he did now in his entire life. He finally felt like he could deal with the things that made him jumpy and paranoid.

Another tug. 'What. is. This!?' Vin was growing impatient. He'd been feeling the Blips for a while now, and he was finally nearing the end of his search. He didn't like the violation. He _was_ the Eco grid now, in a sense, and whatever this was... it didn't belong.

'Almost have you.'

There was another firewall. This one was a bit tougher. Still no match for Vin though. He went to work disabling it.  
***

"Enough, Daxter!" Jak shoved his friend off his shoulder, and onto the trunk of the moving zoomer. They weren't traveling at Jak's normal choice of break-neck speed, instead following fairly normal traffic.

"No, seriously!" Daxter stood, then jumped, climbing right back to his perch, "Details. I want details."

"Give it a rest!" Keira laughed, "I went upstairs, and went to bed. That's all! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Daxter made a high pitched whine, tugging obnoxiously on Jak's ear. He was swatted at for his trouble, but dodged, zipping over to Jak's other shoulder, "Ugh, you guys are so... BORING!"

Daxter was having fun... and as much as the other two sighed, and rolled their eyes... they were too. Teasing was his specialty, and he knew _something_ had happened. He could read Jak like a book. Keira was a bit tougher, but not much. He'd known them both long enough to tell when they were hiding something.

He knew that it wasn't anything really serious, but liked to make them squirm anyway, "I'm disappointed in you bud. You had a hot babe in your apartment, and you didn't even try? Didn't even cop a feel?"

"DAXTER!" It was Keira's turn to smack him. He expertly dodged, and her hand flicked Jak's ear instead.

Jak shot her an annoyed look, and she couldn't help but grin guiltily. He sighed, quickly snagging the ottsel before he could get away again, and shoved him roughly into Keira's arms. She pinned him down despite his mock protests.

They were heading towards the stadium district, having agreed to meet up with Torn. Keira had wanted to get into her garage, and check out what might have been damaged in the attack. Jak and Daxter had agreed to go with her, figuring they could help Torn assess the damage to the rest of the district as well.  
***

"Oh.. Oh... No. No. This is not good. Not good!" Vin's spider-bot moved quickly, pushing roughly against the doors to the council chambers. He had to warn Ashelin. The com-links had been disabled by the thing in the Eco-grid... and he was desperately trying to get them back online. The door was jammed, and he tapped loudly.

"What are you doing?" Sig asked, as he and Damas approached from down the hallway.

"Oh, Oh, thank you. Please!" the spider-bot pushed against the door to no avail, "I can't get in!"

Sig nodded, hearing the urgency in Vin's voice. The guy may have creeped him out a bit, but hey, who was he to judge? After all, he made regular company of a pissed off, Dark Eco kid, a smart mouthed, fuzzy orange rat, and a bunch of non-descriptive Light Eco monks. He pushed the door open, and the bot scurried in quickly.

"Ashelin! Ashelin!" Vin raced forward. The new council chambers were usually open to the public, but she had left them closed today, trying to catch up on a bit of sleep. The governors private quarters were down a small hallway at the back of the room.

Ashelin had heard the commotion, and came trotting down the hallway. She was in loose, casual clothes, having jumped straight out of bed, "What is is Vin? What's wrong?"

"Ohh.. Oh, It's bad. Very bad!" His holo-head appeared, and he shook it desperately, "I found the blips! I think it's the Dark-Makers! They're on the move to attack the city!"

"What!?" Ashelin dashed over to her desk, grabbing her com-link. It gave nothing but a quiet static and she smacked it, "What's going on?"

"They disabled them! I don't know how they did it, but they did. I'm working now to get them back on... it's going to be a bit still..."

"How long do we have before the attack?" Sig asked, stepping forward. Damas had noticed how much his old friend had begun to take charge. It was a peculiar feeling for the old king, realizing that Sig was stepping up to the duty of being his successor. It made him happy to know Spargus was in good hands... but he didn't know if he could get used to being a follower, instead of a leader.

"Minutes, maybe? They've been able to keep hidden from my radar until just a little bit ago. Whatever is coming, it's big. Like, really really big. They've been draining power from _my_ Eco grid. I... I don't know how they did it..."

"Where are they going to attack?" Damas asked, "Perhaps we can cut them off?"

"Uh, I think they focused on the Stadium to weaken it's defenses..."

Ashelin's eyes went wide, "That's where Torn is!" She tried desperately to activate the com-link again, then slammed it against the table.

"Get them back online. Now!" She demanded of Vin, then turned to head back towards her room, "I'm grabbing my gear, and heading out."

"We'll go with you," Sig stated, "Jak, and them are all there too."

Ashelin was a little relieved that Torn wasn't alone, but still couldn't shake the feeling of dread. If this attack was going to be as huge as Vin said, it could only lead to disaster.

"Vin. As soon as you get communications online, put a warning out to the citizens, and alert the reserve forces. I want to know the instant it comes back up!"

Vin didn't reply, but the spider-bot continued to pace back and forth.  
***

"I just don't get it..." Torn scratched the back of his head. He and Jak were taking a tour around the outside of the stadium, "It's like they were purposely trying to trash the place."

"They weren't attacking buildings anywhere else," Jak sighed, "I mean, they did try to get into the bar, but Tess had that taken care of."

Half the stadium had collapsed, and various Krimson Guard soldiers were working desperately to help relief crews clean up the mess. Torn had a deep seated feeling that their troubles were just beginning.

Keira and Daxter had gone to check out her apartment and garage, to see if there was anything salvageable. It didn't look promising, but Jak hoped she'd be able to find something. As soon as they had seen the state of the stadium, her heart had dropped.

Jak sighed, a downtrodden look crossing his features, "There won't be any races for a while."

Torn nodded, understanding Jak's frustration. Jak had become the city's top racer, and had made a good bit of money doing it. The commander couldn't really recall a time where Jak truly had fun outside of the track. After part of the palace had demolished the stadium a few years ago, the city had desperately sprung into action to rebuild it. It was a dangerous, but extremely popular sport in Haven. Torn would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the races a bit himself... and had also made a little credit betting on Jak.

The two continued to circle, both observing the situation in quiet consideration. Jak was confused. He'd never seen Metal-heads organize to such a degree since he'd killed Kor. He wondered if the Dark-makers were controlling them.

That was another sour thought. He'd destroyed the Dark-Maker ship two years ago, and it had involved a ton of luck. If they were invading from another world... he didn't know what they would do.

There was a bit of a rumble in the distance, and Jak tensed. He didn't want to deal with another earthquake at the moment. The reaction he had to the Dark-Eco that flooded the air with each quake was definitely less than desirable. He felt it was only a matter of time before he lost control, and hurt someone unknowingly. If Daxter hadn't been around the last time...

The ground didn't shake, however, and Jak tried to relax, "Maybe it's just the rubble settling..." He paused, then slowly changed direction, "I should check on Keira and Dax..."

Torn grunted in agreement, and was about to follow when he noticed something strange rising in the air just beyond the far side of the stadium wall, "Is that smoke?"

Jak turned his head in the direction Torn was gazing.

"TORN!..." The commander's com-link buzzed loudly, followed by a harsh static.

"Ash?" Torn pulled the device from his belt, shaking it a bit, "What...?"

"On... o... wa..." Ashelin's voice cut in and out, but her desperate tone couldn't be mistaken, "Get out... attack..."

"Ash!?" Torn shook the device harder, then cursed. He turned, noticing Jak had suddenly gone completely still, "You ok there, Jak?"

Suddenly Jak grabbed him roughly by the arm and pulled, making a mad dash. Torn didn't know what was going on, and was a bit surprised at his strength.

A loud, violent explosion rang, and out of the smoke in the distance erupted a crackling, hot, condensed beam of Dark-Eco. It tore through the stadium, and across the ground, uprooting the brick that had been beneath their feet just seconds before.

Jak stumbled over his feet for a second, hand grabbing his chest. He'd barely sensed the Dark-Eco coming seconds before, and now it was overbearing. His body craved it, and ached to absorb it. He shook it off, and continued on, his other hand still urging Torn forward.

"What the hell was that?!" Torn shouted, turning his head to face the smoke.

A sudden clang, followed by whirling mechanical sound met his ears. Out of the smoke erupted a long, armored spider like leg. It came down hard, and Torn could feel the ground shake a bit beneath him.

Another leg. They were covered in a black and purple armor, and glowed slightly. Whatever this was, it was bigger than any machine he'd ever seen before.

A second beam tore through the district, and Jak grunted. When he'd thought they'd gotten far enough away he turned, facing what he already knew was there.

Through the smoke slowly came the rest of the Terraformer. The Dark-Eco housed inside made his head throb, but he fought through it and focused his eyes on the cock-pit, desperate to try and see who was controlling the machine.

"What is that thing?" Torn shouted. He thought about raising his gun, but knew it wouldn't do any good.

Jak shook his head, wishing hopelessly that he was just imagining everything, "It's a Dark-maker Terraformer... I uh.. kinda took one down in the desert once. Only... this one is too big."

"That's the thing you beat Erol in!?" Torn would have been impressed if the situation wasn't so dire, "What do you mean it's too big!?"

Jak shook his head. It was definitely a Terraformer... it shared the same basic construction, but this one looked to be at least double... if not triple the width of the one he'd destroyed before. He didn't think it was possible until he took a closer look and realized the machine was heavily modified. It looked like a small, fortified citadel had been built into it.

All around them was chaos. The KG were scattering, some attempting in vain to attack the enemy, others running for their lives. Citizens were screaming, making desperate attempts to escape the district. Thick, heavy smoke filled the air.

Another quick beam of concentrated Dark-Eco. At least for the moment it was facing in the other direction. It brought another leg down, crushing more of the stadium underneath. Rubble shifted, and a small fire erupted.

"Keira and Dax are still in there!" Jak took off towards her garage, and Torn quickly followed. They were about halfway there when the hulking machine shook, and released numerous large, round metal objects. Each one was like a ball, with sharp, jagged black shards of metal pointing in every direction. Jak held his breath, instantly recognizing them.

One landed just a few feet from their location and Jak paled. Once the object began to beep, Torn had a pretty good idea what it was. He let Jak yank him in another direction as they stumbled haphazardly to find cover.

The beeping suddenly stopped, and Jak shoved his companion hard in desperation. With the boost, Torn had barely made it behind a large, stone flowerbed before the explosion. He scrambled, back to the wall. Jak wasn't as lucky. The mine burst in a blinding flash of Dark Eco and Jagged metal.

It knocked Jak off his feet and he felt his head crack against concrete. He tried to push himself up, but struggled in a complete daze, the wind pulled from his lungs.

Torn reached out a hand to grab Jak by the arm, pulling him behind the barrier. Jak gasped for air, trying to snap himself to attention. He first touched his forehead, relieved to discover it wasn't bleeding... but it would definitely swell. He could already feel the bruise forming.

Then the throbbing in his leg began. He looked down, and cursed. Protruding from the back of his calf, just below the knee was a long, sharp chunk of metal. Small bolts of Dark-Eco sparked between him and it, his body absorbing the little bit that had been coating the metal. All the while he could hear the destruction being caused by the Terraformer behind him.

Torn had just taken a second to look over the edge of the flower-bed when he heard Jak groan. He turned back to face his friend. If he hadn't been so used to battle related injuries, he might have hurled.

Jak was sitting, white knuckled, one hand gripping his leg in obvious pain. The other hand was wrapped around the twisted black metal that had embedded itself in his skin. Blood had begun to stain his pants, and was no doubt pooling in his boot.

Torn ruffled through the pack at his hip, quickly retrieving a small flask of Green Eco. Since the last attack he'd taken to carrying a few flasks in his pouch. They'd cost him a pretty penny, but luckily he was able to afford it. He passed the flask to Jak.

"Thanks..." Jak quickly swiped the flask. He stiffened, then yanked the shard of metal out with a slight _'squick' _sound. He went to work pouring the Green Eco over the wound.

Torn had turned back to look at the Terraformer. It was moving slowly, taking its time in it's destruction. It had released another volley of mines, but thankfully none were close enough to them to be a threat.

Then he noticed the Metal-heads. Sprawling out from the dust and smoke on the stadium wall, they came in a large, thick wave. There were easily hundreds of them.

Jak shook his leg, which brought Torn's attention back to him.

"How's it going?" Torn asked, his gravely voice full of both concern and desperation.

"Fine. Won't be running a marathon any time soon... but it'll hold up." Jak replied.

Torn grunted, then jerked his head to imply Jak should take a look at the battlefield ahead of them. Jak complied, pushing himself up to look over the flower bed. He cursed, grabbing his morph-gun, and looking back towards the garage.

"I've gotta get to them." Jak stated, squatting to keep low. His leg protested slightly, but he ignored it, pushing forward. Torn followed, thankful that the majority of the Metal-heads had headed in the same direction as the Terraformer.

A few stragglers came towards them as they ran, Jak hobbling, and Torn blasted them before they had the chance to get too close.

Finally they neared the entrance, and Jak grew stoically still. Part of the building had clearly collapsed, and the door was jammed shut.

It didn't stop the young warrior, who yanked hard, tapping ever so carefully into the bit of Dark-Eco he had absorbed earlier. It wasn't enough for him to transform, but it gave him the strength he needed to force the door open.

"Dax?! Keira?!" Jak coughed, a cloud of dust and smoke filling his lungs.

He didn't hear a reply, and he began to panic. He slowly began shoving himself through the rubble.

"KEIRA? DAXTER?!" Jak called fearfully.

"Jak?" Came a shaky reply from Daxter, and he could hear shuffling bodies not to far ahead of him. The building was full of smoke... but he thought he could smell the distinct scent of blood.

"Go. I'll watch the door." Torn stated, hefting his gun up to give covering fire. Jak nodded, and ducked into the building. The ground shook, indicating the Terraformer had brought one of its legs down nearby.

"Jak?" Daxter yelled, terror in his voice, "You there?"

"I'm coming Dax." Jak replied, rounding a corner. He gasped, then rushed forward to his hands and knees.

Keira was pinned underneath a fallen support beam. Daxter was trying to no avail to pull her free. She was conscious, but in obvious pain. Her cheek gave away the fact that she had been crying not long before.

"J...Jak." She coughed, the smoke choking her. She squirmed, "I... ugh..."

Jak nodded, reaching a hand to feel where the beam met her body. There was a sharp piece of metal jetting out, impaling her side. He couldn't tell how deep it was without being able to see. He pulled his hand back, wincing when he saw how much blood had coated his fingers and palm. Keira's blood.

"If I can lift up the beam... do you think you can get out?" Jak asked calmly, trying not to panic. He forced himself to keep his cool.

Keira nodded slowly, "It's... It's not that bad. I'm just... stuck."

Jak nodded, "Dax, get back..."

Daxter complied, jumping over to Keira's other side and grabbing her arm, hoping to assist her in some way. Jak saw that the ottsel's hands and fur were covered in Keira's blood, obviously in an attempt to help free her or stop the bleeding.

"Ok. This is gonna hurt... but you need to go quick, ok?" Jak cupped her face in his hand gently, "You got this?"

She nodded, "I got it."

He smiled wearily, then moved to get a good grip on the beam that was pinning her down. He used every ounce of strength that he had, tapping into the small spark of Dark-Eco again. It stung at his finger tips, but he continued unhindered. His muscles tensed, and he shook slightly, desperation and adrenaline kicking in.

A few agonizing seconds and the beam began to move. Jak took a sharp breath, pushing even further. He lost his grip on the Dark-Eco, but refused to give in. He looked down, and saw that the metal that had sliced Keira open was from a twisted steel pipe that had been used to reinforce the concrete of the building.

Finally Keira was able to shuffle weakly out from the rubble, and as soon as her feet were clear Jak fell backward, letting go. The cut on his leg cracked open, but he ignored it, his full focus on the girl besides him.

He hastily scampered down to Keira, his hands subconsciously moving on their own. He was feeling along her rib cage, trying to determine if anything was fractured. He wasn't a doctor by any means, but had been beaten and broken enough times to know what he was looking for.

She cried out as he neared the bottom few ribs, and he closed his eyes to keep from showing his concern. He continued on, examining the hole in her side.

It wasn't life-threatening, and Jak relaxed somewhat. The pole had made a clean cut, hadn't gone all the way through, and it didn't look like it was near any of her organs... there was just a lot of blood.

He moved forward, and used one steady hand to help hold her up near her collar bone. She was trembling, barely supporting herself on her arms.

"I've got you. I've got you, ok?" Jak told her softly, using his other hand to stroke her hair, "I'm gonna get you out of here. Lets get out of here."

She nodded, coughing again. The smoke was starting to get to her, and Jak turned her carefully to make it easier to pick her up. She cringed, but didn't cry out.

Jak knew she had at least a few broken ribs, and couldn't tell what else. He yanked his scarf free, and tied it around her to try and hinder the blood flow. Green Eco would help, but it didn't work on bones as well as it did on open wounds. Still, he wished he still had the ability to channel it. He swallowed, his throat tightening. She looked like she was about to pass out, "Stay with me ok?"

"Jak!?" Torn's voice echoed, "We gotta go! The Terra-thing is starting to come this way!"

"Dammit!" Jak hissed, moving as quickly and carefully as he could through the rubble. His leg felt like it would give out, but he pushed onward.

Finally they found themselves in the open air, and Torn stole a quick apprehensive glance to the shaking girl in his Jak's arms. Together they dashed away as hastily as Jak's leg would allow, unsure of how they were going to escape.

The Metal-heads had begun to chase them down, and beginning to come dangerously close. Torn did his best to move and fire, but the sheer number threatened to over take them.

There was a sudden blast from above, and in swooped a bright red and gold armored Hell-cat. It opened fire, giving them the cover they needed to duck around another flower-bed.

Jak laid Keira down gently, but didn't quite let her go. The Hell-cat landed heavily nearby, and Ashelin jumped out over the side, followed closely by the two wastelanders.

Sig and Damas both nodded a solemn greeting, then immediately the two older warriors dashed away, ducking and weaving through cover as they approached and attacked the oncoming Metal-head threat.

"Shit..." The red head ducked forward, kneeling by Keira. She touched the girl on the arm lightly to show her support, then peaked over the flower bed, aiming her pistol defensively. "Damas said that's a Terraformer?"

Jak nodded tiredly, not taking his eyes off the girl in his hands. She was breathing heavily, still shaking, but hadn't passed out. Jak was nearing complete panic, fighting hard to keep his composure. Torn silently offered another flask of Green-Eco.

It wouldn't be enough to stop the bleeding completely, Jak knew, but it would help. He carefully removed his scarf, then lifted her shirt and used his teeth to uncork the bottle. Slowly, he poured the glowing liquid into the wound. It hissed quietly as muscle and skin began to mend.

Keira gasped in surprise, turning her head to look down at her side. She regretted it, immediately feeling sick.

"Oh, Ok." Jak held her up carefully as she began to gag, Daxter had come up behind her to hold her hair back.

"It looks worse than it is..." Jak tried to comfort her as best he could. He didn't want to admit how fragile his own thoughts were at the moment, "You're ok..."

Keira nodded, moving a hand to feel at the slowly closing wound. The Green Eco was helping, and had begun to numb the pain. Her ribs still burned, but she was slowly coming out of her shock, "Ugh... I'm ok..."

Jak wanted nothing more than to pick her up and run, but things were getting desperate. The Terraformer had stopped in place, and was switching between it's Dark-Eco beam and regular blaster weapons. Screams filled the distance, and Jak wondered why an alert hadn't been sent to the rest of the KG.

The district was all but completely demolished. Dead bodies, both people and Metal-head alike, littered the ground in every direction. There were still a few soldiers fighting, or attempting to at least. A few Hell-cats even tried to attack the Terraformer, but caused no noticeable damage.

Jak heard Sig cry out, and jumped up to take a look. The wastelander hand been pinned down by a large Metal-head, and he struggled to kick it off. A shot from Damas disabled the creature, and Sig shuffled out from underneath to safety. Blood was staining his clothes across his chest, but by the way he moved Jak hoped it was superficial damage.

There was a sudden shift in the air, and the Terreformer lowered it's long head, cockpit coming near the ground. Slowly the foggy glass panes opened, and a familiar, cold, somewhat synthetic voice echoed through the air.

"Damas..." A slow menacing laugh, "Looks like you escaped that crumbling shit-hole of a world! What a pleasant surprise!"

Jak could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end... he'd never forget that voice. Keira had noticed his grip on her arm tighten considerably, and looked up to scan his face. It was paler than normal, and his eyes were narrowed forward. His breathing was a bit quicker, and she could tell he was grinding his teeth.

Erol.

"Oh, and it looks like you've made new friends!" He turned noticing Sig, "Well... I brought some of my friends too."

A few Dark-maker bots began to crawl out from the openings located on the Terraformer. With a thud, they dropped to the ground, and stood eerily still. Dark Eco crackled across their bodies, slowly dissipating across the ground. The majority of the Metal-heads scurried around them, shielding them just as they had before at the port. The rest of the Metal-heads were chasing down and eliminating the last few KG that remained.

Damas raised his blaster over the edge of his cover and fired, aiming directly between Erol's eyes. It failed, the blast absorbed by a near invisible force field.

"Now, Now... its been so long! Is that any way to treat an old pal?"

Damas was visibly shaken, anger welling up in his features. He looked ready to charge the Terraformer on foot, but managed to hold himself back behind his cover. It reminded Sig of Jak in a way.

Torn and Ashelin had moved to try and flank some of the Dark-Maker bots, each slowly dashing from cover to cover, trying to avoid detection. If things went completely south, they were still at a distance where they could hopefully escape.

Jak looked down at Keira, and slowly picked her up. She protested silently, turning to get a look at Erol. She gasped, having never seen his robotic form in the flesh, so to speak.

It horrified her. Cold, blue weaving metal gave the illusion of a muscle structure. Across his face were scraps of his tattooed skin, stretched tight and pinned into place. Patches of hair came off one side of his head in a messy, clumpy way. He was still sitting, and she couldn't make out his lower half, but it appeared he was fully mechanical. His hands were large and powerful, and each movement he made whirled slightly, giving off an eerie inhuman sound. If he wasn't such an asshole, she would have almost admired the machinery, slightly interested to see how it worked.

Erol hadn't bothered to notice them. He was still taunting Damas.

"I'm going to destroy this world too, you know." Erol teased, almost playfully. "Then I'll move on to another... and another. It was an accident in our world, you know. It wasn't my intention to screw up the time-line."

Damas gritted his teeth, gun still raised. All of his friends and family were dead because of this mad-man. Chunks of his world were actually completely gone, and ruptures in the barrier between dimensions had ripped across his sky. The population had dwindled to small pockets of survivors. He knew that by now there could hardly be anything left.

"But it just felt soooo right, you know?" He shrugged in a completely exaggerated motion. The skin that was stretched across his face pulling disgustingly in a sick, twisted smile.

Jak did his best to ignore the dread that Erol's voice brought. He slowly carried Keira over to the Hell-cat, and laid her down in the back seat. She smacked his arm angrily, and whispered, "What are you doing?!"

Jak scooped Daxter up quickly, and dropped him into the driver's seat. The ottsel struggled, and Jak held him still, "Daxter. Get. Her. Out."

"Jak!" Daxter's voice was shaky, "I can't leave you here!"

"Yes you can. I'm _counting_ on you for this, Daxter. I know you can fly one of these things." Jak was stern, giving his friend the harshest look he had in years, "Please Daxter... I'm trusting you."

Daxter gulped, and Keira tried to pull herself up and out of the Zoomer. Jak shoved her back down, perhaps a bit too roughly, and shook his head, "Get her to her dad."

"But... Jak..." Daxter protested..

"Im not asking." Jak replied, still pinning Keira to the seat. She swung at his head, and he just brushed off the blow, "Go Daxter!"

The ottsel closed his eyes, gritting his teeth, and Jak felt the Hell-cat come to life. He backed away, pulling his morph-gun from the holster on his back.

Keira looked down at him accusingly, and tried to stop Daxter. He ignored her, and they took off, staying somewhat low to avoid attention. He could see her struggling in the back-seat, but it didn't take them long to leave his view.

Jak thanked his best friend silently, and turned to the situation behind him. Damas still held Erol's attention, and none of the Dark-maker bots had moved yet. Torn and Ashelin had taken cover a little ways from each other, their weapons still trained on the enemies in front of them.

Jak slowly made his way forward, ducking behind fallen rubble and debris. He quietly crept towards the Terraformer, doing his best to stay hidden. Closer and closer he got, taking cover behind a chunk of craggy upturned pavement.

There was a sudden, loud beep from the console in front of Erol, and he glanced gleefully down, eyes wide.

"Well, well!" His head shot up and he slowly turned his head from side to side, searching energetically, "Jak! How long have you been here!?"

Jak stiffened, but didn't blow his cover.

"Haha! What a day!" Erol grinned, leaning forward, still trying to pin the youth's location down, "I've _missed_ you Jak! Killing you in my world was a mistake, you know. I feel like I lost something oh so important to me..."

Jak closed his eyes and swallowed, glancing over to the friends he could see. Torn hadn't taken his eyes off Erol or the Dark-makers, but was visibly shaken. Sig and Damas hadn't moved either. He couldn't see Ashelin, but knew she was just as professional a soldier as the rest. None of them would give away his location.

"You can't hide Jak. The sensors picked you up once you got close enough..." Erol explained, flicking his fingers as if he had fingernails to clean, "They're tuned specially for your... _unique_... body signature." The man paused, his teeth clenched in an entirely natural smile, "A little Dark-Eco... a little Light-Eco..."

Jak felt his heart stop. The other world's Jak must have used his Light form against Erol... after all, he himself had used it to defeat this world's version of the lunatic. He was devastated that his secret had been revealed so unceremoniously.

He could see his friends falter, but they pushed themselves not to move. He could tell they were all shocked, however.

Sig swore silently. He didn't know if he should quite believed Erol's words... but it made sense. Why else had Jak asked about Light-Eco at the bar? Then there was that small strange reading he didn't' recognize back at the temple...

"Ohh... but it looks like there's not a whole lot of Light-Eco left in you is there? The scanners are _barely _picking it up." Erol continued, eyes reading from his console, "Not much Dark for that matter, either, but that's easily fixable."

Damas fired again, trying to draw Erol's attention away. He hadn't known about the Light-Eco either... but refused to let the revelation distract him. The blast was once again absorbed by the barrier.

"How rude!" Erol turned to face the old wastelander, "I'm not done talking with your _son."_

Jak felt rage boil up from inside, and he almost acted on it... The statement had stung far more than it should have, and his mind darkened. He cocked his head slightly, then was distracted when something small and quick caught his eye. He tried to focus on it.

Scurrying across the few remaining rooftops towards the Terraformer was one of Vin's spider bots. Another was peaking up from a sewer manhole, only to duck back down. Several more were shuffling in from other directions, doing their best to stay hidden. All of them were headed towards the monstrous machine in front of them. It would have been a little humorous in any other situation.

"Jak... Jak... if you don't come out I'm going to flatten this city by nightfall." Erol baited, "I'll even meet you face to face, how's that?"

Slowly the Terraformer lowered it's head, and Erol climbed out of the cockpit, easing his way down. The clank of metal meeting concrete echoed out, and he took a slow step forward.

Damas shot again. A metal-head jumped up to take the blast, shielding Erol from all damage. Several more swarmed near him, ready to do the same.

"Really now!? Just give it a rest old man!" Erol motioned with his hand, and a few of the Metal-heads around him bounded forward towards Damas, "Don't test my patience!"

Damas opened fire, mowing them down before they could approach, then paused to reload his weapon. He ducked down behind cover, and Sig protected him from more oncoming metal-heads with shot's of his own.

"Well Jak... since you don't want to come out and visit, I guess I'll just have to show you one of my new toys."

Erol raised his hand and a glowing blue orb in his palm pulsed. Blue crackling bolts of Eco sparked forward, and surged down his body. It traveled quickly along the ground, slowly turning from light blue, to purple. It danced around for a bit, as if it was searching, then changed course straight for Jak.

Jak's eyes went wide, and he pushed himself to move. His leg gave way, and he stumbled back against his cover. The Dark Eco bolts ripped up his body, forcing their way in through his skin.

Absorbing Dark-Eco was always unpleasant: but this was excruciating. Whatever this was, it was reminiscent of the actual methods they had used to torture him years ago. It felt like someone had stabbed him, and he clutched at his chest tightly, falling hard to his knees. He gasped roughly, body wracked with pain. His eyes teared up, and his vision went blurry.

"Ha!" Erol let out a laugh, and he paced towards Jak's now revealed location. Torn and opened fire, followed quickly by Sig, Damas, and Ashelin.

Several of the Dark-Maker bots were on the move instantly, each one dashing forward to ambush the four of them. None of them could continue firing on Erol, instead having to change targets to the deadly creatures rushing at them.

Jak shook his head, still on his hands and knees. What the hell had Erol done? Part of it felt familiar, deep in his mind. His body was trying to channel something that it couldn't. He tried to reach for his gun, but his limbs wouldn't cooperate. He clutched again at his heart, and could feel it pounding unevenly. It felt like he was having a heart attack.

"You like that Jak?" Erol cooed, the clang of his metal feet quickly approaching, "The Dark Makers taught me so many neat tricks. You know what that was?"

Damas had scored a lucky hit against his Dark-maker bot. It slumped to the ground, spasming violently, Dark Eco pooling out of the hole in it's head. He made a mad dash toward Erol, desperate to protect Mar. He couldn't watch him be executed again. He'd die before he watched it happen again.

He tackled Erol with all the force he could muster, and actually managed to catch him off guard. Erol stumbled back as if to trip, then caught himself. He looked furiously towards the wastelander, and grabbed him roughly around the neck, "How dare you touch me you filthy..." His voice trailed off as he began to squeeze the breath from Damas's lungs, "I'm through playing with you."

After a few tense seconds he violently threw Damas towards a now approaching Sig. They collided, and both wastlanders tumbled roughly backwards.

Torn and Ashelin had been forced to back up, several Metal-heads joining the Dark-maker bots that approached them. Ashelin had tried to run towards Jak, but was cut off, taking a small hit from a Metal-head across the shoulder for her trouble. She pelted it with bullets, then turned to fend off another leaping threat.

"No interruptions!" Erol demanded, finally standing next to his prey, "So, Jak..."

He lightly used his foot to kick Jak in the ribs, forcing the struggling warrior onto his side. Jak coughed harshly, eyes trying to focus on Erol. All he could make out were his intense, amber eyes.

"It's corrupted Blue Eco." Erol explained, "Interesting, isn't it? Your body can't handle that at all, can it?"

Jak tried to force himself up, but collapsed. He glanced slowly up. Damas and Sig had been swarmed by Metal-heads, and Torn and Ash were stuck behind cover.

There was a sudden crackling white spark from the console in the Terraformer, and Erol turned quickly to see what was going on. He was growing annoyed with all the distractions.

One of Vin's spider-bots had managed to make it into the cockpit undetected. Several others were crawling around the massive machine in various places, burrowing into the joints and wires. They were pulling and slicing with their small, pointed legs at the exposed mechanisms.

"What!? What are you little freaks doing!?" Erol took a few steps back toward the Terraformer, then stopped, raising an arm. A small panel opened at his wrist, and he used his free hand to push a couple buttons inside.

A pulse-wave of Dark-Eco washed over the Terraformer, and the spider-bots all shook and staggered. One by one they began to fall or collapse in dead, sparking heaps.

"What did you do!?" Erol cursed, leaning over to grab Jak by the front of his shirt. He was caught in the hand by a small shot from above. Smoke rose from the melted metal, and he frowned, whipping his head around to see what had hit him.

Hovering above them was Ashelin's red and gold Hell-cat. Keira was leaning shakily over the edge, hand blaster drawn. Daxter was struggling to keep the zoomer still.

"KEIRA?" Erol almost laughed, "I don't believe this! The gang is all here, isn't it!?" He waved his hand toward the zoomer, and another Dark-maker bot opened fire. Daxter barely dodged in time, and Keira was jerked sideways. She gasped out in pain, clutching her side.

Attempting to ignore the searing agony, she fired again, screaming, "LEAVE HIM ALONE EROL!"

She hit her target in the upper chest. Erol growled angrily, clutching at the sparking hole she had left behind. He glared at her, "What's the matter Keira? Have a soft spot for the little Dark Eco freak!? Too bad, I've got plans for him!"

He quickly grabbed Jak by his collar and heaved him up. The youth struggled weakly, trying desperately to free himself. Erol shook him like a rag-doll, then backhanded him hard across the side of his head. Jak's world went dark.

"Jak!" Keira tried to fire again, but missed. The Dark-maker bot that was firing at the Hell-cat had scored a hit, and it sent them crashing toward the ground.

No one could reach Erol in time to stop him, and he vigorously threw Jak into the back of the Terraformer's cockpit. He climbed in, and glanced down at the controls, harshly shoving the disabled spider-bot off the console, "What did you little shit-heads do?" The gauges were showing a severe drop in power-levels. He couldn't tell what exactly was going on. He'd have to retreat, and recharge.

It didn't matter. They couldn't stop him anyway. He looked back at the unconscious freak behind him, and let loose a twisted smile. He had a new toy... well, an old toy he had lost a long time ago... to play with. He could come back and destroy Haven later.

He turned the Terraformer around, and it stumbled awkwardly. Vin's spider-bots had done some pretty extensive damage to it's legs and controls. Still, Erol managed to get it moving, and it retreated into the expanding wastes beyond the city walls. The majority of the Metal-heads and the few remaining Dark-Maker bots stayed behind to terrorize the small group that was desperately trying to fight them off.

"JAK!" Daxter pulled himself out from under the crashed Hell-cat. He ran desperately forward, only to be cut off by a small, scorpion like metal-head. Keira struggled to stand, then fell to her knees. She raised her blaster, took aim and fired. The Metal Head collapsed just before it could land a fatal blow to the ottsel. He dashed around the corpse, but was stopped short when a large strong hand gripped him around his waist. He was hoisted up into Sig's arms, and the wastelander dashed behind a crashed zoomer. Daxter struggled, even bit at Sig's exposed skin, but wasn't released.

"LET ME GO!" Daxter used his claws to dig into the wastelander's arm, "Dammit... No..."

A sudden alarm rose, Vin having finally gotten the city's Eco-grid back under his complete control. Several loud engines could be heard, and new squads of reserve KG flooded into the district, along with a few, battle ready wastelanders who had been near Haven when they heard about the attack. Together, they fought off the rest of the monsters.

Samos was on a transport in, having heard about the wounded in the area. His eyes scanned the ground below him, and suddenly focused on his daughter. The transport quickly landed, and he ran forward as fast as his old knees would carry him, "Keira!?"

Keira rose her head to face the Sage, tears streaming down her face, "Oh...daddy..."

He gently placed a hand on her cheek, quickly and expertly channeling the Green Eco in his body.

"Daddy... He took Jak..." Keira sobbed, "Erol took Jak..."

* * *

**Authors note: **Man... I think I torture Jak too much. I can't resist. Anyways, as always, reviews are muchly apreciated!


	7. Chapter 6

**Authors note: ** Hello all. A bit more Jak torture, than the story is gonna open up, past that I promise. I tried to show how bad-ass some of the support characters are in their own way. Vin and Keira especially. I love Vin, and I feel like he got brushed off so hard in Jak 3.

Shaveza: Thanks for checking out the fan art! I'm sure i'll be doing more soon.

Katpet: Thank you! and yeah, Poor Jak!

Another longer chapter... I didn't want to be mean and leave it on another cliff hanger. I almost did... :)

CHAPTER SIX

* * *

"It's a ways out, and its got one hell of a defense system," A tall, burly wastelander reported. His skin was caked in dirt and ash, showcasing the obvious scuffle that had ensued. Sig had sent a few of his local men to follow the Terraformer's tracks, and they had done so without objection. In fact, they had all volunteered once they heard it was to find Jak. The prince may not have taken the throne... but any one of them would lay their life down for the son of their former king. Only two of the five he sent had returned.

Damas sat hunched over the bar, a hooded cloak covering his features. His counter-part was dead in this world, and it would do no good to stir up trouble by having a curious wastelander recognize him. Daxter paced absentmindedly back and forth across the counter top, occasionally stopping to glance up at the former king with tired, bloodshot eyes. He had almost pulled his own fur out with worry. The ottsel had tried to run off a few times, no doubt to chase after Jak, but had finally been convinced to wait.

Keira was resting up in Jak's apartment, along with Samos and Tess. The Sage had begged her to go to the palace, and recuperate in one of the medical rooms, but she stubbornly refused. When he had tried to force her, she fought back so viciously that she had torn her wound back open. She wanted to be where the others were.

Samos had finally left her alone, saying he needed to meditate in the forest to regain his strength. The past few days had been extremely taxing. Once she was sure he was gone, she pushed herself up off the couch, and marched toward the door. Her ribs hurt, but she gritted her teeth and ignored them.

"Keira?" Tess hopped off the armrest of the couch, "You ok?"

"I'm not going to sit up here and sleep while everyone else is downstairs trying to decide what to do!" Keira snapped, not at the ottsel, but at the situation in general, "I'm not dead. I'm fine. I've seen Jak and the others deal with way worse than this."

Tess didn't try to stop her, instead she nodded understandingly. When she'd been human she'd been a spy for the underground. She understood what it felt like to want to take action. She scurried to catch up to her friend. They slowly headed down the hallway toward the stairs, "I heard you got a few good shots off with the blaster? We didn't get a chance to try it out last time I modified it... How'd it handle?"

Kiera sighed, "I hit him... but I don't know. It looked like the shots went right through his armor, but It didn't seem to help any."

"He's not human anymore, hun." Tess knew what she was getting at, "It's a good gun, and if he were a normal guy he would have been in trouble. I think it's going to take something a lot bigger than that to stop him cold."

Keira nodded, and winced as she carefully took each step down the stairs.

Damas saw her enter, and he moved silently to help her to a seat. She accepted his arm, and he led her gently to the stool at the edge of the bar. She thanked him with a nod, and sat, gripping her side with one hand and leaning over the edge of the counter with the other.

Tess immediately brought her a small, smelly drink, "It'll help with the pain. Trust me."

Keira accepted it and downed it in one straight shot. She grimaced, and stuck her tongue out as her taste-buds burned, "Ech... man, what the heck was that?"

"That's my specialty. Don't worry, you'll know why in a bit." Tess smiled a bit devilishly, then turned to grab Daxter's hands, halting his pacing.

He looked up at her, and the sight made her heat drop. He was tense, and clearly unable to focus. His fur was matted where tears had streamed down his face. His usual loud, playful demeanor had all but vanished, giving way to silent anguish.

She pulled him into a tight hug, and he eased into her, gently placing his hands on her back, and hiding his face against her neck and shoulder.

"We're going to get him back." Tess declared, "But you aren't going to be able to do anything if you keep running yourself ragged."

Torn, Ashelin, and the three remaining spider-bots Vin had shuffled in through the door. They looked exhausted... even Vin, who moved slower and less jittery than normal. They had just gotten back from meeting with the council, and addressing the Krimson Guard.

The remaining troops were now on high alert, with double shifts for everyone. They strolled dutifully through the town, most of them eager to prove they could still protect the people. Aid was given out to the families of the civilians and soldiers killed in the attack.

It would take a long time to figure out just how many had died, and nobody wanted to think about the task quite yet.

They both sat at the bar, and one of the spider-bots made a leap up to join the two ottsels. Sig noticed them, dismissed his wastlanders to get some rest, and slowly trudged up to join his friends. He placed a comforting hand on Keira's back for a moment, then made his way to lean against a support beam that was located just next to the bar.

They were all somber. They knew they had to act quickly, but still didn't have any sense of a plan.

Finally Damas spoke up, "It is almost nightfall. Erol is arrogant, and will probably not be expecting a rescue attempt so soon. No doubt he believes that we suffered far heavier casualties than we did."

Ashelin nodded, "He's always been cocky. Even when he was in control of the guard. Regardless, he's also always been dangerous. He's a complete wack-job."

"My guys said that they couldn't get close enough to the Terraformer to even guess what was going on inside. Said it had hunkered down in the sand, and was crawling with Metal-heads. It's like he built a damn fortress on the thing, and has it barricaded tight."

"How is he able to just control the Dark-Makers like that though?" Torn asked, "Aren't they like, evil Precursors?"

"Didn't Jak say they were kinda crazy? Like, they were all twisted by the Dark-Eco and weren't really capable of reasoning anymore, they're all like robots, right?" Keira asked, a bit sheepishly. Tess's drink had begun to take effect. Her insides were warm, and it had certainly numbed the pain.

"The Dark-Makers are a joke." Daxter said quietly, "Just like the Precursors."

Everyone turned to look at him. Daxter was just staring at his fists, which he had clenched so tightly that his claws looked as though they were digging into the skin underneath his fur. Tess tried to get him to stop, but he pulled away.

"It's all a joke!" Daxter stomped, turning on his heels to look up at his companions, "They all just sit around, doing nothing, while they make some poor saps do all their work for them! Its the freaking Precursors fault Jak is..." He stopped, forcing back a sob, "It's their fault he's the way he is now. They pushed all this on him. They 'chose' him... and they let Praxis and Erol break him into pieces, just so they could force _him_ to save the day. They ruined his entire..." He turned to look up at Keira, "You remember. You remember what he was like before all this."

Keira looked down at him and nearly burst into tears. He was right. Jak had been so carefree. He'd always been a little too confident, always been strong: but he used to be innocent and calm as well. She nodded weakly, and hid her face in her hands.

"Daxter..." Ashelin tried to calm the ottsel down, "This isn't helping..."

Daxter turned on her with a glare that was cold as ice. He bared his teeth, and growled in a way none of them had ever heard him do before, "You don't get to say anything. Not a damn thing. You didn't _see_ what your daddy did to him! You didn't hear him scream. You all heard about that stupid experiment... and you _ignored _it. I... When I found him, he..."

"I'm not my father!" Ashelin reminded him, but her heart clearly wasn't in it. Daxter wasn't finished.

"He can't even think straight most days, and he still saved all of your assess TWICE. Half the time most of you were twiddling your thumbs, 'Jak, take down this shield' 'Jak, get these metal-heads.' Oh, and let's not forget my personal favorite: 'Go get a freaking flag!'" Daxter knew it wasn't entirely the truth. None of them had just sat lazily during the rebellion or fight against the Dark-Makers, but he was angry and lashing out, "... and now that piece of shit Erol has him _again,_ and who knows... We can't leave him there." He huffed, slumping down into a seated position, "...Screw the Precursors..."

They all looked around, quite and feeling somewhat guilty. Finally Sig stepped forward and dwarfed Daxter's small shoulder with his hand, "S'why we need a plan, Chili Pepper. We're going to get him out. Tonight. But we can't go in gun's blazing or we'll never make it to him."

Vin spoke up, activating the hologram that displayed his head, "I've been thinking... I might have a solution to that."

Everyone turned to face him, and he backed away a few steps, unused to the sudden rush of attention, "Well, Erol had... he managed to get by my security for so long. I did a bit of back-tracing after I kicked him out of the grid. I think I know how he cloaked himself and the Terraformer for so long... and how he tapped into my power source."

"You can hide us." Damas stated simply, "So he won't see us?"

"I... I uh..." The spider-bot stepped side to side, "No... not completely. I can mask us from his radar. If he gets his eyes on us he'll still be able to _see_ us."

"Then we'll need a distraction." Torn added, "So we can get in without alerting the Metal-Heads."

"Right... Now, I managed to get some schematics downloaded when I uh... back at the stadium. It wasn't too hard to hack. Their safeguards are way weird... but..."

"Schematics?" Keira's ears perked up. She leaned in closer, careful not to push her ribs against the bar.

"Yeah. I'm not so good with the physical things though... Circuits and software I can do... but not the moving parts. I was just cutting and pulling whatever I could when I went after it earlier. If I can get in and hack their systems, I can stop it from recharging it's power or firing it's Eco based weapons... but... by that time I think I'd be booted out of their system. I don't know if I can stop it from _moving_ without knowing what actual mechanisms to disable... I mean I could shut the whole thing down, but that would actually be easier for them to detect and _fix._"

"Did you find anything on Erol?" Keira asked, almost excitedly, "Schematics, repair lists... whatever.?"

"Uhm...One sec." Vin's hologram vanished, and the spider-bot stood rigidly still. A few of them had turned a questionable look on the mechanic. She was eagerly staring at Vin's little avatar, oblivious to the attention.

Several seconds passed and Vin's hologram booted back up, "There isn't much here. I think the majority of that information is probably stored somewhere else, or at least on a different server... but there's this..." his head was replaced by a small graph that looked like gibberish to nearly everyone present. It then shifted to another image, a list of some sort. Finally the last image Vin showed them was of a close up of some damage Erol had received at one point, with several Dark-Maker bots preforming repairs.

Keira absorbed the information, and motioned for him to flip through the little slide-show again. Her eyes scanned each line carefully, and she slowly moved her head back and forth, "It's... hmmm, do you have any good shots of him from today? Security videos would be best."

Vin stepped closer, "When they disabled the coms, they took out the camera's too," He didn't sound too upset, "But they didn't know about me. My spider-bots recorded everything."

Keira would have hugged him, had he had a body, "If you've got it, show me him walking toward Jak."

Vin complied, loading the video to the hologram. It was a little grainy, but clear enough for her. He had a few different angles, and Keira leaned in close to try and see exactly how he moved. His armor was definitely weak in several insignificant places, and she could almost tell how the mechanisms in his joints had to work. To everyone else it looked like he was made of metal muscle, but she knew underneath it all there had to be something a lot more practical.

"You have this, and the schematics for the Terrafromer?" Keira breathed, "If I can get a good look, I can tell you how to break it apart." She paused, "I think... I think I can tell you how to at least slow him down too."

Keira was the opposite of Vin. He could tell you about computers, data, and how Eco tied into it all. She could tell you how hydraulics and and mechanical physics actually worked. Gears, belts, grease: it was natural to her.

She noticed the group staring at her with puzzled looks, and she flushed, suddenly wishing she had another drink, "His body is just a machine. Its advanced, yeah... but I _know_ machines. There are a few basic rules that don't change."

"She ah... she did help me with the spider-bots..." Vin agreed, "She's the one who showed me how they worked so I could modify them."

"There's one small problem..." Torn spoke, standing with his hands against the edge of the bar, "There's no way you're going anywhere near that thing. Especially not in the condition you're in."

Keira frowned, about to object. She stopped herself, realizing that he was absolutely right. She could barely walk at a normal pace with the way her side was. Running and gunning was out of the question.

"Oh, Uh..." Vin's nervous voice cut through the silence, "...but I can. You need me to hack the computers anyway. I can set up a direct feed to Keira here, at the bar, and uh, she can tell me what to do."

"So we'll need two squads. One to distract the Metal-heads and draw Erol's attention away." Torn grunted, shifting his weight slightly so he could accept a drink Tess had offered him, "And a strike team to break in, sabotage the Terraformer, and get Jak out."

"At least one person Erol'll recognize needs to be on the distraction team," Sig pointed out, "He won't go for it if it's a bunch of my wastelanders, or random KG."

Ashelin nodded, "I'll do it. I can get a small squad together."

"I will be going into the Terraformer." Damas stated suddenly, daring anyone to challenge him. No one did, all of them realizing his motivations. He wasn't going to sit in the background while his son suffered. Not anymore.

"I'm going with Damas." Sig added calmly, "No way I'm letting Erol get away with snatching Jak up like that."

"Then I'll go as well." Torn finished his drink, suggesting something that no one really wanted to think about, "We don't know if Jak's going to be able to jump up and walk out. In case there's trouble, that gives us two gunners, and someone to haul his sorry ass back here."

"I'm assuming you won't let us leave without you?" Damas looked down at the ottsel. He had come to realize that Daxter protected his best friend in far more ways than anyone ever noticed. He wondered how the two had met, and how they had become so inseparable. It was a relief to know that his son had at least one, steady constant to rely on.

"I'm not leaving Jak in there by himself." Daxter replied, not waiting for an invite to pull himself up onto Damas's shoulder. "Not ever."

"I've been working on a few little things," Tess spoke up, "Some things that might help you cause a bigger boom." She leaned over the bar, reaching to a small hidden latch under the counter. She opened it, removed a set of keys from the hidden compartment, then tossed them up to Daxter, "Check out the lock boxes in the storage compartment at the gun range."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Daxter gave her a slight smile, twirling the keys around his fingers.

"Just be careful snookums." She gave a sad smile, "and bring our boy home."  
***

The small strike team had taken their place atop a ridge, as close as they had dared. They had driven up in a light transport buggie, which was now tucked underneath a camouflaged tarp. Once Ashelin started the distraction, they would hoof it on foot, staying hidden as best they could behind the scattered hills, trees and rocks that lined their path toward the Terraformer. Luck was on their side: It was dark. The sky was cloudy, threatening a downpour.

Sig and Damas each had one of Vin's Spider-bots clinging to their backs. Daxter had migrated from Damas's shoulder to Torn's, much to the soldiers dismay. The third Spider-bot had stayed behind with Keira to open a direct feed once they got inside.

"You're bots are heavier than they look," Sig complained, shifting his pack higher. Vin couldn't navigate quick enough through the sand to keep up with his companions, so piggybacking was the only viable option.

"Sorry..." Vin replied quietly, "Once we're inside, you can set me down."

"The thing seems even bigger now that it's on the ground..." Torn commented, "... you're sure you have no idea where Jak would be? Didn't you get the maps or something?"

"Schematics..." Vin whined, "Not maps. Schematics. There are a bunch of rooms he _could_ be in... but I'm pretty sure it'll be on the upper level somewhere. The lower level just looks like a bunch of maintenance hallways, and storage for the things Eco-tanks."

"And you're sure the thing won't just spring to life and chase Ash down?" Torn inquired sternly, turning his gaze to the bot on Sig's back.

"No. I managed to release a ton of it's power back in Haven. No doubt they have it fixed by now, but it's still going to have to recharge."

There was a sudden explosion in the distance, and the group knew it was time to move.  
***

"That was unexpected!" Ashelin couldn't help but grin slightly at the mess Tess's new gun had made. It had blown apart several resting metal-heads before it collided with the side of the Terraformer, resulting in a brilliant splash of colorful fire. It seemed like her little ottsel friend had packed the ammo full of a combination of blue and red Eco... how she managed to keep it from blowing up in her hands, Ashelin couldn't even begin to guess.

"Ok, boys. You know what to do. Masks up. I want his attention on us."

The KG that had joined her nodded, raising their protective masks. They had been dressed in similar armor to the governors allies, and were ready to go.

A wave of Metal-heads had swarmed toward them, moving through the desert as seamlessly as they would have on hard terrain. Ashelin kicked her buggie in reverse, dragging the fight away from the Terraformer. A small hand full of Sig's wastelanders waited patiently in the distance, ready to join the fight when signaled.

Hopefully Erol would take the bait.  
***

"There! There!" Vin pointed one spindly leg, still awkwardly gripping Damas's back. "Access hatch. Unguarded!"

They turned, bee-lining for the hatch he'd pointed out. Torn forcefully tried to pry it open, but it was locked from the inside.

Daxter quickly jumped from his shoulder, and scampered towards a small vent located a short distance up the wall. He could easily squeeze through the bars, and he turned back down to his companions, "Sit tight."

Torn, Sig and Damas crouched low, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. A few agonizing minutes later, they heard a small click, and the latch slowly fell open. Daxter waved them in, "Come on... but shhhh. I think they're asleep..."

Quickly and quietly they took turns pulling themselves up into the Terraformer, each one gasping in surprise when they took the time to look around them. They were definitely in a storage room of sorts.

The room was cold, and dim. It was perhaps fifteen feet wide, and was at least double the length. Along the two longest walls were several pod like objects, each housing what looked like a sleeping Dark-Maker bot. Cold air was being vented from the pods, and blinking yellow lights had begun to light up below each one.

"Uh... We need to go. Now." Vin whispered, "I think they're about to wake up!"

The group nodded to each other, dashing as silently as possible across the room. They had barely made it through the door at the other end when a loud siren rang out from behind them. They could hear the movement of the Dark-Maker bots, each one shuffling towards the access hatch they had come in from.

Luckily it seemed like the strike team had gone unnoticed, and the bots were evacuating to go join the fight outside.

Once all the noise had stopped, Torn let out a slow, quiet sigh, "Too close."

They all agreed, and the Spider-bots scampered down to the metal floors below. Vin had gotten incredibly good at moving them in a way that created as little racket as possible. He led the way, trying his best to take them where they needed to go. The schematics weren't exactly right: Erol had added so much extra to the Terraformer that things seemed incredibly out of place. It was a sloppy compact maze of hallways, pits, and dark rooms. Occasionally they'd have to take cover to avoid being spotted by a straggling Dark-Maker bot... but all in all the fortress that Erol had created for himself was eerily empty.

After a bit of time they had found themselves climbing a maintenance staircase, choosing to skip the elevator in an attempt to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. They found themselves going up, then down, then around, then up again. Everything was laid out so haphazardly and inconveniently that they lost all sense of direction.

"Uh... Uh.. left... left!" Vin piped up excitedly, "Definite spike in energy levels. I'm guessing a control room!"

They changed course, quietly gathering on each side of the door. A cold, synthetic voice could be heard coming from inside, "What do you think you're doing, Ashelin?!"

Torn pried the door open quite and carefully, just enough to peek in. Erol was speaking into an intercom, no doubt his voice being blasted outside, "You were always incredibly stupid... but do you honestly think you and your little friends could really do anything with this little _attack_ of yours?"

Torn could see a large panel of monitors, each showcasing a different room or area outside. Luckily none seemed to give away their position, and he gave an inward sigh of relief. One of the monitors was focused on Ashelin, who was rudely gesturing with one hand.

'Ha! That's my girl' Torn thought, a small smirk creeping across his lips.

He scanned the other monitors, hoping he'd get a glimpse of Jak. Most of the screens were showing rooms that were far too dark to see anything of interest.

"Ahhhg!" Erol smacked the control panel violently, taking a few steps to the left. He pushed another button, "You hear that Jak? It looks like your friends think they can come and save you..."

Silence from the other end. Daxter stepped forward to try and look through the crack himself, and Torn pushed him back, shaking his head. He could feel the ottsel struggle slightly, and he flicked him hard to try and get him to settle down.

"Oh, Jak, don't ignore me like that... It really hurts my feelings!" Erol mocked, "After everything we've been though together!"

Still no answer, and Erol grinned slightly, fiddling with another control panel, "I'm going to go take care of our little pest problem outside, ok Jak? Let me make sure I leave you with a bit of entertainment while I'm gone... I wouldn't want you to be bored."

His fingers danced across a keyboard and suddenly one of the monitors that had appeared dark flashed with a bright, crackling light. Torn couldn't make out what was happening with his eyes, but his ears gave him all the information he needed to make an educated guess.

A blood curdling scream erupted from console, and Daxter stopped struggling against Torn's grip. His body had begun to tremble, and he shook his head like he was trying to drown out the sound. His eyes were wide and fearful, " No..."

Jak's scream finally died out, ending in a breathy, raspy cry. The monitor was still flashing slightly, and Erol looked all too pleased with himself.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon Jak..." He teased, tapping the monitor in front of him with a clang, "Just sit tight and wait for me."

The KG commander wondered if Erol would come in their direction. He silently motioned for his comrades to get back and hide. Though thoroughly startled, they complied. There were two, large air ducts on each wall against the floor, and they made quick work unlatching the ventilation gates. Daxter, Torn, and one spider-bot shuffled into one, pulling the gate shut behind them.

Damas, Sig, and the remaining bot crawled into the other, barely pulling their own gate shut as the door to the computer room shifted all the way open, and Erol came strolling out with an sickening pep in his step, the sound of his metal feet clinking loudly down the hallway. The sound eventually stopped, and Daxter struggled to release himself from Torn's grip. The soldier let him go, and he tore through the gate, quickly dashing into the computer room beyond.

The rest of them followed suit. Damas looked ready to chase Erol down, and Sig placed a sturdy hand on his shoulder, "We'll get him _after _we've got Jak."

Daxter was already on top of the console, studying each monitor for signs of his best friend. The flashing light that Torn had witnessed earlier had stopped, and the room was dark again.

Vin scurried one bot underneath the computers, ready to go to work. He used his two front legs to pry open a panel, dashing quickly into the mess of wires and tubes.

"Ok, this is where I need to be." Vin stated, "Or... well, one of me. I can access it's Eco controls from here... and... oh... oh this is interesting..." A small, white spark flickered across the wires.

"Spit it out Vin!" Torn demanded, "We're on borrowed time here!"

"Yes... Yes I know. Ok. Here..."

The other spider-bot activated it's hologram, showing them a rough map of the floor they were on. He highlighted a small path that seemed to lead to a dead end.

"Jak is this way. There is a hover platform I'll activate that will take you to the top floor." He switched maps. There were several rooms and hallways that spread in every direction, but Vin continued to light up their path, "Left, Left, right. When the hallway splits, ignore it, and head straight into the room ahead of you. Jak's there."

"Daxter was already on the ground, and Sig had to scoop him up to stop him from running off ahead.

"I'm leaving you here. I think I know where I need to be to disable the legs, once I get a hold of Keira." Vin continued, "If I can, I'll try to track Erol too... I don't think he'll be expecting me. If not... well, I guess it really doesn't matter. I'll self destruct the bots."

"You going to be ok?" Sig asked as he watched the second bot scurry away in the direction they had come from.

"Eh, I'll be fine. Remember, I'm not really even _here._ I'll give you twenty minutes to get Jak, then I'll set to work hacking into the mainframe. Be ready, because I'm ninety-two point six five percent sure they'll notice and come running."

"Right. Got it. Give 'em hell, Vin." Torn gave a small salute, then turned to dash towards the door on the other side of the room. Damas and Sig followed on his heels, weapons ready in case they ran into any resistance. There was no more time for subtlety.

"Left, Left, Right!" Vin reminded them.

They ran as quickly as their feet would take them, and sure enough came across the hover platform that Vin had mentioned. They boarded, and it sprung to life with a jolt, rising at a somewhat alarming speed.

They rode it all the way to the top floor, and hastily jumped off. The hallways and rooms here were fairly dark, with very few lights. Nevertheless, the pushed forward, following Vin's directions. They came across a lone Dark-Maker bot, which they hurriedly dispatched in it's confusion upon discovering them. It didn't seem to trigger any alarms, or attract anything else, so they pushed on.

Finally they came to the room in the middle of the forked hallway. The door was locked tight, and wouldn't budge.

Damas drew his gun in frustration, firing three shots at the locking mechanism. Sig stepped forward and kicked the door as hard as he could, and it cracked open slightly. He kicked again, and it gave way with a loud _creek._

The room beyond was completely dark. Even Daxter's superior eyes couldn't see anything past his nose. But they could all smell the Dark-Eco in the air that had begun to escape from the doorway. Daxter's fur stood on end, and he bounded forward into the darkness.

Damas followed next, and after taking a few steps forward the maroon colored lights above them flicked on. He suspected they were motion activated, and the ottsel was just too small for them to pick up. Torn and Sig followed, but stopped dead in their tracks when they caught sight of the situation in front of them.

Jak was laying completely motionless across a cold, metal table in the center of the room. He would have been completely naked, if not for a dingy, dirty cloth tied tightly just above his hips. It draped down to just above his knee. There were strong metal shackles securing him at his wrists, and ankles, with a thick leather strap across his chest.

His skin was far too pale, and his body was covered in more scars than any of them had ever expected. The majority were obviously old and faded, but there were a few fresh cuts that glistened with a swirling mix of crimson and dark violet.

Protruding from his body were two thin, glass like black rods. They looked as though they had been carefully placed: One just below his heart, having been slid between two ribs, the other directly below his sternum. Just under the skin surrounded the rods was a faint, pulsing vein like pattern of flowing purple liquid.

Small, stray bolts of Dark Eco crackled between the rods and the menacing machine a few feet above him. It had large spinning disk that hummed with energy. If anyone could place a guess, it looked as though the rods were meant to channel the Eco from the machine directly into his body.

"No no no no... not again. Not again..." Daxter slowly made his way forward, "Jak?"

The youth didn't stir.

Shock had set in, and Torn couldn't bring himself to move. The sight made his stomach churn. He'd seen torture before, back in the old KG... but nothing like this. Jak looked every bit as young as he was, and equally as defensless. He realized by Daxter's reaction that this was exactly the sort of thing the Baron had done to him several years ago in an attempt to create the ultimate living weapon. His mind raced, and he silently hated himself for every crappy joke he had ever made about Jak's anger problem.

"Shit..." Sig whispered, turning away from his friend, unable to take the sight. His eye wandered across the far side of the room... and that's when he noticed the small pile of bodies. The three wastelanders that hadn't returned to Haven had obviously been Erol's previous test subjects, and were clearly unable to survive whatever it was the creep was doing. They were huddled in a twisted, bloody mess. The wastelander king swore he'd avenge them somehow.

Damas pushed himself forward just behind Daxter. The ottsel came to the table, and pulled himself up just beside Jak's head. He leaned over, his ear hovering just above his mouth and nose, trying desperately to hear if he was breathing. He was... but just barely.

Daxter slowly crept up over Jak's shoulder and onto his chest, reaching a hand to grip at the rod below his heart.

As soon as he touched it it glowed brightly, violently releasing scattering bolts of Dark Eco. It burned Daxters fingers, and he pulled them back, sticking them in his mouth.

Jak had let out a weak gasp, his back arching in pain. He could barely move with all the straps holding him down, but he jerked his arms and legs against the shackles. They cut roughly into his flesh. The back of his head cracked loudly against the cold slab below him.

Jak's eyes opened slightly, completely out of focus. He groaned, his voice nearly gone, "No... please... take them out... plea... "

He was begging.

"Jak!" Daxter cried, reaching to hold Jak's face and look him in the eye. Unfortunately, it seemed like Jak was completely oblivious of his surroundings. He made no indication that he could hear the ottsel's voice.

Damas shook slightly, and gently cupped the back of Jak's head in one hand to keep him from slamming it against the metal if he spasmed again. It was Mar. Mar was in pain. He didn't care which world he had come from, or how old he was... this was his _son._

Sig and Torn both approached cautiously, neither saying a word.

Damas moved his other hand to grip the first rod, the same one that Daxter had touched earlier. He hesitated for a second, looking pleadingly at the two men besides him. Sig nodded, and moved to try and keep Jak's legs from jerking, and Torn gripped his arms near his elbows.

Damas nodded, and grabbed the rod tight. It seared his skin instantly, and reacted in much the same way it had with Daxter. Dark Eco bolts crackled through the air, and the glass glowed brightly.

Jak Jerked hard, and let out a raspy, breathy scream. Everyone did their best to keep him from hurting himself in the struggle.

Damas ignored the pain, and pulled the rod free. It continued to crack with violent sparks, and the wastelander quickly threw it across the room. It shattered against the floor. Without skipping a beat he moved his hand to the second rod, and pulled that one free as well. His hand had begun to blister, and he let it fall to the floor.

Jak slowly stopped struggling, and began to gasp for air. The wounds caused by the rods hardly bled, looking as though they had already begun to heal. Damas didn't have time to question it, moving to pull at the leather strap across Jak's chest. The others quickly worked at the shackles, and after a few seconds his wrists and ankles were free.

Jak was visibly trembling now, small, wispy bolts of Dark-Eco flickering across his skin. Daxter's ears went back, and he quickly waved his arms in a panicked desperate motion, "Uh... get back... guys get back!"

Jak's eyes suddenly shot open, and a swirling, pitch black liquid bled across the surfaces. He sloppily swiped at Damas, who dodged, backing away slowly. He had decided to heed Daxter's advice, fighting off the urge to try and pin down the thrashing youth.

Jak growled, twisting suddenly as his back arched in a sickening crunch. Daxter clung to his chest defiantly, unwilling to leave, "Jak stop. Not now!"

He didn't seem to notice the ottsel, and he roughly rolled off the far side of the table, landing with a loud thud.

Daxter had fallen with him, landing on his back. He was briefly knocked breathless, pinned under Jak's body, but managed to weasel his way out. Jak had clumsily shuffled backwards, his back now against the wall in the far side of the room. He was sitting, one hand gripping his forehead in pain, the other his chest. His teeth had become sharp fangs, and his skin was the sickly shade of gray belonging to his Dark form.

He hunched forward and there was a sudden shock wave of Dark Eco that erupted from his body. The lights flickered to darkness, and all of them were thrown off their feet.

Damas shook his head, and he brought a hand up to rub his eyes. His head throbbed dully, and his body felt stiff. It had all happened in the matter of seconds, and he heard his comrades groan beside him. The lights flickered back on, and he shifted his view back to where Jak had been.

Dark Jak was sitting hunched forward, his spine bent sharply. His hands were gripping at his head near his horns, claws scrapping roughly against the skin. Small trickles of blood dripped from inside his ears and nose.

Daxter blinked his eyes to clear them, then stared when he noticed small, sharp black spikes had broken through the skin on Jak's elbows in a rough, random cluster. Each vertebra had a small black spine of its own, and had the same texture as his horns. Daxter wondered if they were actually part of Jak's bones.

Jak's dark form had changed, and it terrified Daxter, "Jak... wha... what did he do to you?"

Dark Jak still hadn't reacted to any of them. The ottsel dashed bravely forward, putting one hand on his knee, the other on his calf, "Snap out of it buddy, we're getting you out of here."

Slowly the twisted youth opened his eyes and turned to face the ottsel. First he looked angry, ready to strike out... but then a brief look of familiarity washed over his features. Daxter gave him a small pat, "Yeah, it's me. I'm..."

That's when the alarm sounded. It looked like Vin's twenty minutes had come and gone, and it was time to go.

Dark Jak staggered to his feet, shaking his head and covering his ears. The sound had set him off, and he tried to growl in confusion and anger. His voice was still rough, and it came out more like a broken gurgle than anything.

Then he noticed the three warriors in the room and his eyes narrowed. The recognition that he had for Daxter did not transfer to the others, and he bared his teeth aggressively, claws slowly raising.

"No. Jak NO." Daxter pushed all his weight against Jak's leg, as if trying to hold him back, "No! You know them. You know them Jak, wake up!"

Jak was ready to strike when the sound of metal clanging against metal met his sensitive ears. Two Dark-maker bots rushed into the room, weapons raised.

"Down!" Sig yelled, and the three warriors dropped to avoid the shots. One shot struck Dark Jak in the shoulder, and he stumbled forward, letting out a pain filled roar that cracked hoarsely. He spread his arms in a threatening way, preparing to pounce.

The bots focused solely on Jak, giving Damas and the others time to aim their own weapons. Sig and Torn managed to hit one before it could fire again. Damas fired, just as the other did, hitting it in the chest. It shifted, but didn't fall. The bot's shot fired off balance, and went low.

Daxter yelped loudly.

The shot had grazed him deeply across his right haunch and he fell forward against Jak's leg. He could smell the distinct scent of burnt fur and flesh. Daxter cringed, thankful it hadn't been a more direct hit.

Dark Jak was visibly startled by the ottsel's cry, and he turned his gaze downward. His eyes widened, and he crouched gracelessly, carefully drawing one clawed hand across the ottsel's body toward the wound. He pulled away in confusion when felt blood.

Dark Jak's head snapped up and he snarled. He roughly pulled Daxter up against his chest and leapt, landing hard just in front of the bot that had shot his friend. It attempted to back away, but wasn't anywhere near fast enough. Dark Jak lashed out with his free hand, impaling the bot through it's neck. He gripped tightly and ripped, turning to shield the struggling ottsel in his arms from the spray of Dark-Eco that erupted from the hole. It moved to swipe at him, and he tackled it, ripping into it's chest. It collapsed.

Jak had begun to pant, and Damas wondered how long his body would hold out. It seemed as though was pushing himself far beyond it's limits. They needed to find a way to snap him to his senses, fast.

The other bot had recovered enough to aim at Dark Jak. Sig grunted, and shuffled forward, tackling the machine's leg. "No you don't!"

The bot toppled sideways and the shot missed Jak, but succeeded in gaining his attention. Sig felt Torn pull on the back of his armor, and he pushed away from the bot just as Jak landed on top of it.

It was all over in seconds. Dark Jak had ripped into the bot in a flurry of teeth and claws. It twitched a few times, and stopped moving.

"Jak, let me go!" Daxter cried out, "I'm fine! Put me down!"

Dark Jak acted as if he hadn't heard him, and fell forward, his free hand outstretched to catch himself. His body shuddered, and he let loose a hacking cough. Small specks of spittle and blood stained the floor below him. The cough turned into a strained wheeze. He wasn't changing back.

"Jak...?" Daxter had stopped squirming, and he looked fearfully up at his friend.

Damas slowly began to stand and move carefully forward, palms upturned to show that he was unarmed. When Dark Jak still didn't move, he gently tried to place a hand on his shoulder.

Dark Jak was startled by the touch and pulled away, turning his head to look at the three men surrounding him. He still didn't appear to recognize any of them, and seemed to have forgotten they were even there.

He pulled Daxter tighter to his chest and a small growl turned into a terrifying rage filled roar. His voice cracked and died, whatever had been left of it was gone.

Then he fled.  
***

"There. See the thin curved metal? Pull that away." Keira instructed.

"Oh.. Ok..." Vin replied, and the spider-bot yanked the object free. It appeared to be a protective shield of sorts. He turned the camera back into the mechanism in from of him.

"Thought so..." The mechanic smiled slightly, see that flat, black thingy with the wires coming out of the top?"

"This?" Vin tapped one leg against what he thought she was describing.

"Yeah. It looks like a pressure sensor. Rip it out."

He did so, and one of the wires sparked for a second.

"Put the shield back, and they'll have a hell of a time trying to determine what's wrong... and even if they do figure it out, I seriously doubt they have a replacement on hand." Keira leaned against the bar. Her father pulled her back to her seat with a frustrated sigh. He was trying to channel more Green Eco into her body. Healing bones was a slow, tedious process that didn't work as well as with muscle, but it would at least mask the pain.

"Ok, now, can you fit between the two hydraulic lines above you?" Kiera asked, ignoring the sage.

Tess was watching intently, immensely interested in what she was seeing. Her specialty was guns, and she could modify the hell out of any blaster that was placed in her hands. This was something else entirely. It was giving her ideas for future mods.

Vin pulled himself up, and barely squeezed through the gap between the pipes she was talking about. He turned from side to side, to give her a view of everything that surrounded him.

"Ok, right above you, see the twisted metal wire?"

"Yes."

"It's kinda like a pulley. I don't think you'll be able to cut it, but if you follow it you should come up to a gear mechanism."

Vin did as he was told, and after a few seconds she stopped him.

"There." She jumped up again, and Samos huffed, "Jam something strong in there if you can."

Vin hesitated for a moment, glancing side to side, then spoke up, "Is this the last thing you need me to do in here?"

She had already helped him sabotage the Eco tanks to blow if they _did_ manage to get the giant machine moving, this was just a backup measure, If it still somehow functioned, at least the leg wouldn't be able to support it's weight, and it would collapse in place, "Yeah, that should do it."

Vin almost seemed to shrug, then wedged the body of the Spider-bot into the gearbox.

"Vin?!"

"Eh, It's fine. It's the only thing I've got. I'm going to switch to the other camera now. After I screwed with the mainframe I found Erol. He came back in when the alarm went off. I'm tracking him now."

"Good. Let me see." Keira demanded, and after a few seconds the camera shifted.

Erol was hastily walking down a hallway, grumbling to himself. Vin was tailing him by walking along a thick rail up near the ceiling. It's exactly the view she needed. There had to be an exo-skeleton in there, and she intended to mess it up big time.

She sat quietly, quickly studying how he moved. Keira frowned... he _was_ heavily armored, and didn't know if Vin would be able to stop him completely. Still...  
***

Torn, Damas and Sig followed the sound of Dark Jak's destruction. Around every corner they would come across the mutilated corpse of a Metal-head or Dark-Maker bot.

Finally they burst through a door and banked left. They were still on the top floor, and he had lead them to a dead end. The hall was narrow, and on the left near the end was a railing. Beyond it was a dark pit, suggesting a maintenance elevator or lift down below.

At the end of the hallway Dark Jak stood swaying slightly. He looked ready to topple over, but his head snapped to attention when he heard them approach.

Dark Jak fell to his hands and knees, forming a protective ball around the ottsel in his arms, snarling like a rabid animal.

"Jak, they aren't going to hurt me! Let me go!" Daxter's muffled cries could be heard, "It's the guys. Friends Jak!"

Daxter finally squirmed free, pulling himself through a small gap between Jak's head and shoulder. Jak tried to grab him again, but he jumped back, landing hard on his weak leg. He fell flat on his ass, and groaned.

Damas slowly moved forward. Dark Jak noticed, and lunged, claws outstretched. His movements were sluggish, his body finally seemed to be giving up. The wastelander managed to sidestep and grab tightly onto one of the youths wrists with his good hand.

His other hand wasn't quite strong enough to hold Dark Jak's other wrist however, and he felt a sharp, burning pain erupt from his arm. Looking down, he saw that Dark Jak's claws had sliced clean into the flesh, cutting easily through the armor that was meant to protect him.

Torn rushed forward to grab Dark Jak's other arm, and Damas ripped himself free from the claws. The puncture wounds burned, and blood began to seep from the holes. He grunted, and twisted Dark Jak's wrist behind his back, in an attempt to get the youth under control.

He realized that even though Dark Jak was exhausted, he wouldn't be able to hold by himself for long. The strength that he possessed was frighteningly impressive. He could feel the muscles tense and pull under the skin. He used a foot to push hard against the back of Dark Jak's knee, and they toppled forward.

Torn and Sig both jumped down to help pin him, and together they barely managed to hold him down in a way he couldn't hurt any of them.

Daxter was about to run forward to try and smack some sense into his best friend when a loud, rushing turbine like sound coming from the pit beside him. He turned his head to look, and cried out in alarm.

Erol had come hovering up from the pit. His shoulder plate was dented and scorched: it looked like Ashelin had managed to score a few solid hits. He landed with a clang, and took two steps forward.

He looked confused at first, then amusingly at the group in front of him, "You've got to be kidding me."

Damas could feel Dark Jak tense underneath his grip. He was eyeballing Erol with a fearful, panicked expression.

Erol pointed his mechanical hand at the group, activating his weapon systems, "Isn't this just rich... You all interrupted a very important play date between me, and the freak there..."

He prepared to fire, but was interrupted when Daxter took the opportunity to scamper up his leg, quickly crawling up his body to his face. The ottsel bared his teeth and swiped at Erol's eyes with his claws.

Erol let out a surprised howl, "Disgusting RAT!" He quickly snagged Daxter with his other hand, and attempted to yank him free from his face. Daxter clung on to the thin layer of skin, and ripped as he was forcibly pulled away.

"AAAGGGH" Erol screamed, "Enough!"

Daxter was flung violently against the wall. Everyone heard the gut wrenching crack, and he fell to the floor in a crumpled, seemingly lifeless heap.  
***

Vin had just managed to crawl up from the pit and focus his camera when Daxter had been thrown.

"DAXTER!?" Tess cried, eyes wide. Keira was sitting next to her, and had brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Even Samos had grown somberly still, eyes focused on the video in front of them.

Keira had begun telling Vin where she thought he should strike, when everything suddenly went very, very wrong. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she pulled the shocked ottsel in front of her into her arms in a tight embrace.

The mechanic cleared her throat, and spoke in a cold, calculated tone, "Two spots. Where the back of his skull meets his neck, under the plate. There's a small gap... stab hard. If I'm right, he should loose at least some of his motor control. Then get up under his left arm, and rip into the side of his chest. The metal isn't as thick there."

"Right." Vin replied, and shut off the camera.

"Dax... Daxter..." Tess sobbed uncontrollably.

Vin struck the unsuspecting Erol from behind, leaping up off the railing, then crawling up his armor. Erol turned unable to reach around and grab the bot. Vin struck at the base of his skull, just as Keira had instructed. One of his legs slid forcefully through a small slot where the armor parted, and struck something buried underneath. If the Spider-bot's leg had been any thicker, it wouldn't have fit.

There was a series of sparks, and Erol stumbled backward toward the pit. He tried to even himself up, but his body reacted randomly, "What!? Another little... WHAT IS THIS?!"

The Spider-bot then pulled itself around and under Erol's arm, wedging up as tight as he could. He began to pierce whatever he could reach, ripping away the wires and tubing that was hidden beneath the armor.

Erol flailed, unable to control his body. He took two steps back, and tumbled over the railing into the pit.

They landed with loud crash, and Vin could see the shocked look on the mad man's face.

_"_Uh... ok... _Suprise!"_ Vin snickered quietly, and activated the spider-bot's self destruct.  
***

Dark Jak had gone completely still, staring intently at Daxter's motionless from. His body was rigid, and he had cocked his head slightly, as if he didn't quite understand what had happened.

Everyone was silent, and no body had moved. They all hoped Daxter would stand up, brush himself off, and make some horribly inappropriate joke.

Then Dark Jak bucked with a sudden surge of strength. Dangerous, crackling bolts of Dark Eco erupted from his body. The three warriors were forced to let go, each of them staggering backwards.

Within seconds he had scurried over to the ottsel, and he curiously scooped the furry, limp body into his arms. He sat, pitch black eyes focusing intently. He shook his head suddenly, and jerked forward, catching himself against the wall.

Jak had started to change back to his normal form, and was gripping his best friend tightly. White hair gave way to green and blond, his skin flushed with color. He tried to cry out, but his voice was all but non-existent. Claws, fangs, and horns receded. His bones popped back into place, and he cringed, never taking his eyes off he ottsel.

His eyes were still pitch black when he closed them, pulling Daxter up to his chest. He turned his head to listen for the ottsel's heartbeat, then nodded. He stiffened, his back arching slightly, and everyone felt a jolt of energy like they had never experienced cut through the air.

Jak's body cloaked itself in a bright icy blue light, and six ethereal tendrils seemed to sprout from his back. He held his breath for a moment, then gasped out in what seemed like relief, placing a gentle palm against Daxter's chest. With a deep exhausted sigh, white flowing whisps of Eco began to transfer to Daxter's body.

Damas and the others stood in awe, unsure of what they were witnessing. Was this the Light-Eco Erol had mentioned?

A few seconds later Daxter took a sharp breath and groaned. He stirred slightly, and cracked open his eyes, looking up into Jak's face, "Hey bud... what's...?"

Daxter momentarily looked puzzled, then panicked, "Jak! NO!" He tried to move, but something in his back was still broken, and he let out a painful gasp. He turned his head to look imploringly at the others, "Stop him. STOP HIM!"

Damas snapped out of his daze faster than the other two and dashed forward. Sig and Torn hurriedly followed.

Jak turned his head to glance at them. His eyes were glowing pure white, his face completely emotionless. With a weak pulse of light, a ball of energy had formed around him and the ottsel. Damas smacked it, but couldn't penetrate the shield.

"Jak... what about you?" Daxter cried weakly, "You'll run out..."

Jak gave a small, calm smile, and closed his eyes. The light began to fade, and he set his best friend down as carefully as he could.

Suddenly he gasped, his breath growing unsteady. He gripped his chest, just below his heart, and Daxter could see a pulsing violet cracking pattern spread out under the skin where his wounds from the glass rods had been.

"JAK?" Daxter heaved himself up, despite his protesting body. Jak had done his best to fix his bones, but they were weak, and would take a little more time to fully heal. Everything hurt.

Jak hunched forward, supporting himself on one hand. The tendrils that made up his wings flickered, and the same violet pattern in his chest had spread at their base, slowly traveling along their length.

The last bit of Light-Eco ran out. His eyes flashed to black, and tears streamed down his cheeks. A few seconds later, he collapsed into his normal form, Daxter barely able to pull himself out of the way.

"What... what the hell was that?" Daxter tried to shake his friend, "Jak...?"  
***

Ashelin and her group had retreated to their agreed apon rendezvous location, and she was staring intently through her binoculars. It was raining heavily, and the sand was turning into a thick soup at her feet.

She sighed in relief when she spied the strike team dashing through the mud, followed closely by straggling Metal-heads.

"Take em out, boys!" Ashelin commanded, and the KG opened fire. Sig's wastelanders were still distracting the bulk of the enemy on the far side of the battlefield.

It took several long minutes, but finally the group neared, and she could observe them more carefully.

They all looked ragged, and Damas was carrying an Jak's unconscious form carefully. He'd wrapped the youth in his cloak, but Ashelin could see smudges of blood around Jak's ears and nose, and she didn't doubt he was worse off underneath.

Daxter was kneeling over Jak's chest, one hand gripping Damas's tunic tightly. He was cringing with each step Damas took.

They slowed, ducking behind the ridge near their hidden buggie. Torn was gasping for breath, leaning heavily against a large boulder. Sig was just as tired, and was crouched forward, hands on his knees.

Damas roughly slumped backwards against the rock, still holding Jak tightly. He slid down, his legs exhausted.

"Hey toots..." Daxter joked, slowly letting go of Damas's shirt. She noticed he moved carefully and with calculated movements, his back arched in a slightly unnatural angle. He tried to slide off Jak's chest, but stumbled.

Ashelin ducked forward to help catch him, and he smiled at her weakly, "Ugh.. Hey, hands off. Tess might not... might not appreciate all this... fondling."

Ashelin carefully set him down in the sand, and the ottsel tried to straighten his back. He almost succeeded, but hunched back over in obvious pain.

Jak hadn't had enough light-Eco to completely heal him, and everything had begun to hurt again. Damas's jarring run hadn't helped. He was furious at his friend for wasting his last bit of Light-Eco on him, and would give him a verbal lashing once he woke up...

The red head turned her head to look down at Jak, who was completely motionless. Damas had placed his uninjured fingers on his neck, double checking for a pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt it.

"How is he?" She asked, "What happened?"

"Too much..." Torn had replied, trying to brush the rain from his face, "Too much. We need to go."

* * *

**Authors note: **Another chapter down. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 7

**Authors note: **Back again! Slightly more character driven chapter this time. I'm glad you guys liked the last last chapter, even if it was super dark/depressing!

Oblique Strategies: They did become the freedom league, and I thought about using that name here too... but I figured after two years there wouldn't be the same amount of dissonance, and now that Ashelin has a stronger grip on her position, there wouldn't be any need for a "freedom league." They aren't fighting against a tyrant or rouge faction anymore, and could probably slowly ease back into being the Krimson guard. I think she'd probably give it a major overhaul though.

Actually your comment made me want to clarify another thing I realized might be a bit misleading, so here I go. When I refer to the 'Dark Maker bots' I'm referring to them as a whole (the few different types of Dark maker enemies), not just the machine that Jak was able to control. I always thought they _all_ looked like organic robots, rather than twisted ottsels, so if you guys think that's confusing i'll go back and specify a little better. I realized after I had already begun writing that It may have been confusing.

Thanks again everyone else who reviewed, It keeps me motivated!

CHAPTER SEVEN

* * *

"It's certainly troubling..." Samos's hand hovered just over Jak's chest. He was once again examining the strange, vein like patters that had appeared under the skin near the wounds caused by the strange glass rods. With every beat of his heart, they pulsed slightly.

The Sage had tried to channel Green Eco through the young warrior's body, but the majority of it had been rejected. It reacted even more poorly to the Dark Eco than normal, and Samos had taken a nasty shock from a stray violet bolt. Still, he was persistent, and hadn't spent much time away from the youth since they had arrived.

It had been several long hours, and Jak hadn't reacted to anything the Sage had tried. The only time he had moved was when another tear induced earthquake had struck. His body had writhed, he had cried out with no voice, but he hadn't woken.

"Whatever Erol did caused it..." Daxter stated quietly. He was curled up in a large, cushioned chair that Ashelin had wheeled into the room for him, "He never had nothing like that before..."

They were in the same room at the palace that Jak had previously occupied. Samos had insisted that both of them recover there, rather than the bar.

Tess had just left, still a bit angry at Daxter for making an inappropriate 'dead ottsel' joke. She'd fumed silently by his side for a few hours, but was obviously relieved that he was alive. She had started nodding off, and Daxter had finally convinced her to go home and get some sleep. Keira and Sig accompanied her.

Torn and Ashelin had also gone to bed after assessing the damage caused by the newest quake. The tears had once again opened, but there weren't nearly as many invading metal-heads, and no one had spotted a Dark-Maker bot. The KG had cleaned up pretty quickly.

Damas was sitting in a chair near the doorway, observing the room in quiet contemplation. He had only been in this world for a short time, but could tell it was falling apart in much the same way his had. When the most recent tears opened, he had even tried to see if he could find anyone, or anything by peaking through them. He had hoped that maybe, perhaps, he would luck upon the Precursor of his world, and would be able to ask him the location of the mysterious machine... He had been unsuccessful. The tears he _could _see through revealed a rotting wasteland, and crumbling cities. The others offered nothing but darkness. An all consuming, silent darkness.

Damas's arm stung, and he rubbed it gingerly. He had already cleaned, and tightly bandaged it. Samos had offered earlier to take a look, but the wastelander had demanded that he focus on Jak and Daxter instead. He didn't need, or particularly want the Sage's help.

Samos noticed, and hobbled over, "I can attempt to heal it now, if you would like."

Damas shook his head, "I will do it myself later."

Samos looked confused, "I can channel... " He was abruptly interrupted.

"So can I," Damas replied, "I may not have the skill that my so... Jak... used to apparently have, but I _am_ a decedent of Mar."

The Sage looked slightly shocked, "I wasn't aware..."

"Where do you think he got it from?" Damas motioned his good hand toward the unconscious youth, "My body does not _store_ it like yours does, Sage. I can not heal another. But I can channel the four basic types through my own body. It is my bloodline's legacy."

Daxter's ears had perked up, "See, leaf breath, you don't know everything..." He tried to stand, but cringed, slowly lowering himself back down.

"What did I tell you!?" Samos scolded, turning back to the ottsel, "You are not fully healed yet! The more you move around, the longer it will take! You're lucky Jak was able to do what little he did..."

Daxter let out a small growl, and glared, "Little?" He pushed himself up again, leaning over the arm of the chair, "You're impossible! Jak used everything he had to help me..."

"I'm impossible!?" Samos bickered, "When were you two going to wisen up and tell us about this Light Eco issue? You should have said something!"

Daxter's hair raised, "IT WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

"Enough!" Damas demanded, jumping to his feet. In all honesty, he agreed with the ottsel. As much as he wished he had known, if Jak didn't want to share, it was his prerogative. "This is not the time for arguing!"

Samos huffed, turning away from Daxter. He didn't quite meet the wastelander's gaze, "I need to rest and meditate. I will be back in a few hours. Contact me if anything changes."

Daxter continued to glare at the Sage's back as he left, then slumped down weakly into the chair. He rolled onto his back with his head using the armrest as a pillow, "Sometimes I wish I could turn back into a human just long enough to shove his head in a toilet."

Damas had returned to his seat, resting his chin on his entwined fingers. He had heard talk that Daxter was once a human, but had never been interested enough before to inquire further. Things had changed. He was tired, and welcomed the distraction, "How long have you known Mar?"

"Eh?" The ottsel's ears twitched, but he didn't move. He was obviously staring at his best friend, "Oh, man, Jak and I go way back. Like, way, way back..." He paused, slowly slumping forward. He shuffled to hang over the other arm rest, reaching toward Jak. He stretched as far as he could without leaving the chair, then sighed in defeat. He was obviously exhausted, and in more pain than he let on.

It took a moment for Damas to realize what he was attempting to do. The old king stood, and walked silently over to the side of the bed. He gripped the edge of the blanket that had been pushed down to Jak's waist while the Sage had examined him, and pulled it up to cover Jak's shoulders.

Daxter nodded, "Thanks..." He curled back up, "We were little. I mean, I never knew _exactly_ how old he was... I guess we still really don't know. We just went by what Samos told us. Not like we had a choice, he didn't talk back then."

Daxter noticed the puzzled look that Damas had tried to hide, and shrugged, explaining it bluntly, "He was a mute."

Damas frowned. He had distinct memories of Mar attempting to talk, but he hadn't quite grasped speech before he had been lost. He didn't know how long it was between the child's kidnapping, and acquisition by the underground, "And no one taught him to speak?"

"Oh, everyone tried. Some of the villagers gave up and just said he musta been dumb. Of course, that wasn't true. He just didn't talk. Ever. Eh, it didn't matter. He was the only kid who'd play with me... not that there were all that many kids in the village." Daxter, smiled softly, "He didn't have to talk, to well... talk. I always knew what he meant."

The wastelander recalled various times in Sparus where he would observe the two friends conversing between one another. Jak would say very little, sometimes never saying a full sentence, and Daxter would speak enough to fill a book in reply. It was curious, and now made some bit of sense.

"It was kinda his fault I got turned into an ottsel. I mean, it was an accident, but I can't let him off the hook that easy. Especially since I gave up turning back into a human so we could beat Gol and Maia."

Damas had a brief moment of familiarity. He had heard the names before, a long time ago during his studies as a child, but couldn't quite place them, "Gol and Maia?"

"Yeah. You know how everyone says Jak is some kinda Dark Eco monster?" Daxter replied, nonchalantly, "He doesn't hold a candle to them. They were the real freaks."

Damas's mind struck a memory, and he almost gaped, "Gol... Gol Acheron? The Dark Eco Sage?"

"The one and only."

"That was supposedly hundreds of years ago," Damas turned to look at the motionless warrior, "It is a bed time story."

"Phhfft. Shows how much you know." Daxter was still laying on his back, and he waved a lazy hand in the air dismissively, "Jak kicked his ass. Actually, now that I think about it, it was the first time Jak ever channeled Light Eco. Well, I guess it wasn't really the same Light Eco, the Sages had to combine all their powers to create it... still don't know _how_ that makes sense... but eh, whatever, it worked. Happier days."

"They really were." Keira's voice drifted in from the doorway. Her hair and clothes were soaked, evidence that it was still pouring outside. She was holding her side tightly, "I couldn't sleep..."

Daxter had rolled slightly to glance up at her, "Hey babe. You look like hell."

Keira gave a soft laugh, "You have room to talk. You look worse than the time you and Jak decided to mess with that wumpbee nest."

"Ughhhh..." Daxter groaned, absentmindedly rubbing his shoulders, "That was a mistake."

Keira had walked over to Daxter's chair and gave him a quick ruffle on the head, "My dad was so pissed."

Daxter gave a fake whine of discomfort at her touch, "He was always pissed."

The mechanic shrugged, not really disagreeing. She had continued moving toward Jak, and placed a gently, loving hand on his forehead. He had a slight fever, but didn't feel as warm as he had when they arrived. She stroked his hair lightly.

Damas was still in awe at the revelation that his son had defeated such a powerful adversary at apparently a very young age. It gave him both a sense of pride, and a sense of longing. He wished he could have seen his son grow, wished he could have been there to witness his victories, and his defeats.

"Tess says she's still mad." Keira turned back to Daxter, bending her knees to look at her friend in the eyes, "... that joke was pretty horrible."

Daxter snorted, shrugging his shoulders.

"When we saw... Daxter we thought you were..." Keira held back her tears, looking down at her long time friend.

Damas wondered if he should leave. He didn't want to. He wanted to remain at his son's side and keep watch for any sign of self-awareness. He no longer had his kingly duties, and had no true desire to regain them. He simply wanted to be at least some semblance of a father. It didn't matter if the sentiment was returned. His family was gone. His friends and subjects? Gone. He had no hope that his world was still somehow hanging on. He had seen it crumble around his feet, felt the air die. The only things that came from the rifts now were poison, and darkness.

And truly, if he could return to his world, would he want to? What reason did he have to go back? It was a heavy thought. Did he honestly feel no guilt about escaping when everyone else would surely be dead by now? He had never felt this way. As king, he had always been a leader, everyone's needs were above his own. He had always stuck by tradition and law. Now? He wanted to be selfish.

"Heh." Daxter pushed himself up, and fell forward lazily to face Kiera, "I'm ok. I'm alive. Jak made sure..." He stopped, a brief look of anger flashing across his face, "Dumbass. Stupid. I go to save him and he just ends up saving me instead... wasted his last bit of..."

"Dax?" Keira asked softly. She typically didn't use his nickname, and her voice gave away her melancholy demeanor. She had turned to face Jak, and was once again stroking his hair, "Why _didn't_ you guys tell us about the Light Eco?"

Daxter let out a long tired sigh, and shook his head, "It was his decision. He didn't want anyone to know."

Damas had stayed silent, but had to admit that even he was curious as to the reason for the secrecy. It was an incredible rare skill to channeling light Eco, and even in the short chaotic time he had witnessed it, he knew it was immensely powerful. The being that Jak had turned into, with it's glow and flowing movements, had an air of calm that permeated even the startled warriors who had just witnessed his transformation. It was eerie, much like the Dark form that Jak took, and just as frightening. He wondered if it caused the youth pain, like the twisted Dark Eco that filled his veins.

Luckily, his question was voiced by the pretty young mechanic, "But why?"

The ottsel rubbed his eyes, then left his hand to cover them, "I think he was scared."

Even Damas had to give the ottsel a quizzical look. Keira's mouth hung open slightly, "...of what?"

Daxter uncovered one eye from between his fingers, looking directly at his best friend. He sighed, "He's never actually said it, but I'm sure he felt that if you guys all knew, you'd probably think he was even more of a ..." He paused, pulling his lips into a sour expression. He used his fingers to form quotations in the air, " '_freak'. _He's scared you'll all go running. Can't blame him for thinking that though... think of how everyone reacted to the whole Dark Eco thing at first. Some people didn't even want to _touch_ him because they thought he was like, contagious or something."

Keira looked away. She had been one of those people. She had heard rumors, heard that he changed into an uncontrollable, evil creature that did nothing but kill. When he showed up at her garage and looked so different, acted so different... she reacted poorly. It must of devastated him.

"How is it he came to possess the ability? Surely the Baron had nothing to do with it?" Damas inquired, "One would think that if the Dark Eco destroyed his talent for normal Eco channeling, Light Eco would be out of the question."

"The P_recursors," _Daxter hissed, "They said the Dark Eco was gonna pretty much kill him and that the only way to save him was to give him 'balance.'" He almost spat, "Like it wasn't their fault he got all pumped full of Dark Eco to begin with. So they pumped him full of Light Eco to stabilize him or some bullcrap-ola... so he could still be their little _hero. _It was his 'destiny' and all that... "

Damas understood Daxter's hatred for the so called Gods. He had often shared the sentiment, feeling as though his fate should be his own to write. He knew the Precursors were not as infallible as they believed themselves to be.

Daxter gave a small groan, and brought both hands up to cover his face, "It's my fault... I.. He needs that Light Eco to survive, and I..."

Keira slowly scooped Daxter up into a soft hug,, "It's not your fault," She told him, "It's what Jak does. He saves everyone. He loves you Daxter. Jak would never be able to live with himself if you got hurt..." She paused, gently patting her friend on the back. She hid her own sad expression well, but Damas could see she was just as distraught. "Can't we get him more?"

Daxter sighed, his face buried in his friend's shoulder, "We don't know where. There were a couple vents we found, but they all went and dried up. The ones in Spargus, and that temple in the volcano... none of em are working now..."

Damas thought for a moment, stroking his chin. He suddenly recalled something that had only recently happened in his world, after Mar had died. His monk's had stumbled upon a previously unknown source of Light Eco, and had tried to use it to save his world. It hadn't worked, but there was still a large amount of Eco available, "In my world there was a sunken temple about a half day ride from Spargus. There was a large source of Light Eco there."

Daxter snapped away from Keira, "What? Where?"  
***

"Torn?" Ashelin had rolled over and woken herself. The KG commander was sitting up beside her, face in his palms. He lowered his hands and turned to face her.

"Sorry. Did I wake you up?" He asked, putting a hand on her head, "It's only been a few hours. Go back to sleep."

She sat up on one arm, studying his features. He was obviously upset about something, despite how much he tried to hide it. His brow was pulled tight, and his eyes looked startled. She gave him an inquisitive look, and laid an arm across his waist, "What's wrong?"

He gave her a hard stare for a moment, then eased up, leaning back against the headboard, "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Torn."

"I just couldn't sleep. I was thinking about... " He sighed, then shook his head, "Nothing. It's nothing."

Ashelin knew better, "Speak up soldier."

He gave her a sarcastic eye roll, "Hardy har, ma'am."

"I mean it." The redhead demanded, albeit kindly, "Talk."

Torn grunted closing his eyes. Ashelin was the only one he would ever drop his guard around, "I was thinking about how we found Jak. I mean, I've seen some pretty messed up stuff..." He paused, "I've _done_ some pretty messed up stuff, Ash... but I've never seen someone who looked like that. Part of me thinks the rat is right. We just sat back and ignored what was going on around us."

Ashelin sat quietly, absorbing his words. She hadn't seen what Jak looked like when they finally got him laid out in the recovery room. Damas's cloak had still been wrapped around his body, and she was ushered out with the rest of them.

She knew that Samos was desperately trying to channel Green Eco into Jak's body, and it just wasn't taking. He was unconscious, but it didn't stop his body from writhing in pain. Torn had done his best to relate to them what had happened, and how they found Jak. Everyone, including herself, suddenly understood the true depth of Daxter's angry rant in the bar before the rescue.

"I mean, how many people died in the Baron's experiments? Then I think about how he threatened to kill _you._ His own daughter. What if he did _that_ to you." He rubbed his eyes, then pinched the bridge of his nose, "...and, well, I'd heard the big rumors about his Dark Eco monster thing before, but I'd never actually seen it up close..."

Ashelin nodded. She'd never actually seen it before either. Jak was incredibly reserved about it. After hearing about his loss of control during the rescue, she could only assume he did his best to avoid transforming near his allies for that very reason, "I've only heard stories..." she said, tucking a stray dreadlock back behind her ear, "... and I've seen some of the bodies that came back."

"They're grossly under embellished." Torn snorted, leaving it at that, "I really hope I don't ever piss him off."

Over the years Torn had come to depend on Jak. The kid was always ready for a fight, always ready to help. At first, he was just some thug that Torn had used to further the undergrounds goals. Now he was a friend... a good friend. He had done so much for everyone, at the expense of his own well-being. He always came through.

Torn couldn't help but feel like he had let his friend down.  
***

_"__Give him another dose. He's still squirming."_

_Hot, searing pain ripped through his body. It threatened to tear him apart, ripping from his flesh. He wished it would... then it would be over. He wished he would just die already. _

_No one was coming for him. Hell, they were probably dead. How long had he been in the prison? He didn't honestly know. His cell had no windows, there were no clocks. His hair had gotten so long, and facial hair had started to grow scruffy around his chin. It felt as though he had literally grown from a child, to an adult behind those prison bars. _

_A voice echoed in the back of his mind, deep down, 'kill them.'_

_"__Interesting. Switch to the direct injector. I'll open his ribcage."_

_'No...no... no...' He begged silently. There was a sudden, sickening crack, and agonizing fire. It was in his chest. It tainted him, and could feel it moving slowly through the rest of his battered body. Every vein felt like flowing barbed wire._

_The voice in his head returned, 'Rip their throat's out. Make them scream for mercy.'_

_"__He's absorbing it at an exceptional rate... but other than that..."_

_"__Ugh! Why!? He should be reacting physically to it! He should be doing Something!"_

_Another jolt of pain, and he snapped open his eyes. Several people stood staring down at him. He couldn't make out their faces... black wholes against the bright white lights above him. He tried to turn his head to look at his chest, but was unable. He was paralyzed._

_"__Still awake, freak?" It was Erol. "Let's have a little fun then..."_

_'Kill him.' The voice in his head whispered, 'It's so easy. Snap his neck.'_

_"__Jak..." Erol teased, letting out a sinister laugh, "Stay with me Jak."_

_'Do it now.'_

_"__Jak..."_

_'End him...'_

"Jak!"  
Jak's arm shot up faster than any of them could see, and his fingers tightened on a thin, frail neck. The owner stopped moving, eyes wide with fear. He could feel their pulse. He wanted so desperately to feel it stop.

_"_Jak no!" In an instant Daxter was there, ignoring the surge of pain the sudden movement had brought. He jumped haphazardly from the chair to the bed, pushing hard against his friend's chest.

Jak's eyes were pitch black, his breathing shallow. Keira was standing as still as possible, breath held tight. She could feel his fingers slowly tightening, small pricks of needle like nails threatening to rip into her skin. She gulped, "Ja... Jak it's me..."

Damas had rushed from across the room, and placed one hand around the youth's wrist in an attempt to stop him, but his grip was unwavering. The wastelander didn't want to yank his arm, in fear of hurting the girl. Jak was on the verge of transforming, and Damas had no idea on how to stop him.

"What are you doing you big idiot!?" Daxter violently smacked his best friend across the face. He felt something in his body give way, and he stumbled forward, but steadied himself against Jak's shoulder. Jak snapped his head to face him, releasing a near silent growl, fangs clenching tight.

Then he stopped suddenly, looking confused. His gaze shifted from the ottsel to the girl in his grasp.

Jak's eyes widened in pure horror and he instantly released his hold. He snapped his eyelids shut, and pulled backwards, rending himself free from both Damas and Daxter as he tumbled off the other side of the bed. He was on his feet in an instant, backing to the wall clumsily as he gripped his head with both hands, letting out a weak, raspy cry.

Keira inhaled sharply and gripped both her hands around her neck. Sinking to her knees, she took a few shaky breaths before daring to look up.

Jak had slid to the floor, knuckles white as he pulled at his hair. His breathing was erratic, and his eyes were still clenched shut. His voice broke in and out, barely audible, "I'm sorry... I'm sor... sorry..."

Jak's whole body was trembling, and he brought his knees up further to bury his face in them. He let out a harsh cough, and he brought a hand to wipe the small trickle of blood that had begun to drip out of his nose.

The others had all been outside in the waiting area when they heard the commotion. They quickly rushed into the room and stared blankly, trying to figure out what had happened. Each of them made to move forward, and were instantly stopped when Daxter shook his head at them and mouthed the word 'no.'

Damas knelt slightly next to Keira, placing a hand on her back with an concerned look.

"I'm ok..." She told him, slowly standing. Her voice was slightly raspy, and the adrenaline in her body had yet to recede. Her shaking hands hadn't left her neck.

Daxter slowly slid down the side of the bed and approached Jak, "Hey buddy... it's ok... everything's ok..."

It seemed as though Jak hadn't even heard him. He continued to gasp for breath between apologies. It killed Daxter to see his best friend like this. Everything about it reminded him of when he had first sprung Jak from the Baron and Erol's clutches. When Jak had realized he had almost killed Daxter, it devastated him. It took a long time for him not lash out at every shadow... and even longer for the nightmares to stop.

Jak was rocking slightly, his body hidden behind his knees. "Ghua..." One hand pulled down to grip at his chest. Daxter was close enough to see the violet pattern in his skin pulse. Jak's muscles tightened, his body suddenly wracked with a sharp pain. Small crackles of Dark Eco danced across his skin, and his breathing had become wheezy.

"Oh I don't think so!" Daxter crept continually forward, limping slightly, "Don't you even think about it! Look at me!"

Jak's ear's twitched at his friend's voice, and everyone stayed impossibly quiet.

Torn, Sig, and Damas had all braced themselves, realizing that Jak being the only ones besides the ottsel who had ever seen Jak's darker persona. The rest had never witnessed his transformation, and stood slack jawed and staring.

Ashelin noticed Torn's sudden stiffness, and turned her gaze back to focus on the struggling youth that was hunched up against the wall. Even she could feel the static of the Dark Eco coming off of him. Part of her brain screamed at her to run.

Jak's body was still curled in on itself, hiding every bit of his face and chest. He was mumbling now, and between the stray apology they would hear the occasional "please..." or "Stop..."

Daxter realized that Jak's mind wasn't completely in the present situation. He was begging his tormentors to stop, and the ottsel guessed that Jak was dreaming of a past torture when he had grabbed Keira earlier. Even in his current mindset, however, he was fighting to stave off Dark Jak. Daxter needed to snap him back to reality, and he knew exactly how to push his best friend's buttons.

"I know you can hear me!" Daxter had gotten close enough to smack Jak across the shin. Jak twitched slightly, but continued to wheeze, head buried in his knees. A small crackle of Dark eco whisked down his shoulder.

"Sheesh! Stop with the fireworks already you big showoff!" Daxter carefully placed a hand on Jak's knee, "No ones impressed."

The youth grunted, shivering slightly, "Let me go... please..." His voice was barely a whisper, his throat still damaged.

"Heck no!" Daxter replied, "Snap out of it bud, you ain't in the prison. Wake up!." He snapped his fingers, peaking between his friends arm and leg, "...and NO letting out Mr. fangface."

If the situation wasn't as dire as it was, Damas almost would have snickered. Though his methods were strange, he had to admire the ottsel's tenacity. Even injured, Daxter had fearlessly acted against the dark creature threatening to unleash itself. He was more a wastelander than many men he knew, and stood at merely over two feet in stature.

Jak had begun to shake his head slightly, still gasping for breath, "Keira... I... I hurt Keira..."

Samos's eyes instantly narrowed, and he began to stomp forward angrily. His daughter shot him a nasty look, and shook her head. He stopped, turning his glare back to the situation.

"Nah, she's fine. Keira's fine. She's tougher than she looks." Daxter continued to prod, "A little too skinny for my tastes, but she's still a tough cookie."

"Ugh..." He was still pulling at his hair, "I..." His skin was covered in cold sweat, and a strong shudder wracked his body, "I can't... I can't get away..."

Daxter looked visibly shaken at this statement... Erol did this. Erol brought back the painful memories, and Daxter had once again let his best friend get taken. Guilt flooded his mind, but he hid it from the struggling youth in front of him. "You already did bud. We got your ass outta there. You're back home."

Jak grew silent. After a few seconds the evidence of his eminent transformation began to ebb, and he let out a series of hoarse coughs that made most of the people in the room cringe. "Keira... I..."

Daxter flicked his friend's ear, "I keep telling ya, she's fine. Sheesh... keep blabbing and everyone'll know you have a thing for her!"

It seemed as though he was reacting to the ottsel now, somewhat calming himself. It was a good sign. He moved his arm heavily, accidentally shoving his elbow into the ottsel's side. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal.

Daxter tried his best to stay on his feet and hide his discomfort, but his body and mouth betrayed him. His leg gave out, and he croaked out a small, pain induced cry.

Jak instantly snapped his head to his friend, arm raised in a quick, panicked motion. He eyed the ottsel with worried, hazy eyes, and held his breath, "Daxter?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Daxter replied, pushing himself back up. You here now?"

Jak was looking at Daxter like he had just killed him with his own hands. One hand hovered weakly over his best friend's furry back, afraid to touch him, "What... What.. did I do...?"

"Nothing! That's what I keep telling you, ya big lug!" Daxter replied, shoving Jak's hand away, "I'm fine. Keira's fine!"

Jak was still wide eyed, not daring to take his eyes off the ottsel.

Everyone in the room was still dead silent, unsure of how to act... or even if they should. No one had ever seen Jak appear so unaware and vulnerable. It was a cruel reality check for many of them. The youth had always acted like a hotshot, never backing down from a confrontation. He had always come running to their aid. He often complained, but he still always delivered. Seeing their ever reliable friend reduced to a broken shell of himself was heart-wrenching.

Keira slowly made her way around the edge of the bed, and over to Jak's trembling frame. She nealt, and gently placed a steady hand on his cheek. She carefully pulled his gaze to her. After a few tense seconds he seemed to acknowledge her presence.

The skin around his eyes was red and puffy, but the shadowy blackness that had filled them earlier was nowhere to be found. Dark rims had formed in his sockets, and his nose hadn't really stopped bleeding. His skin and lips were pale, but he felt slightly warm with fever.

She carefully used her sleeve to wipe away the blood, still holding his cheek with one hand, "I'm here, Jak. Calm down, ok?"

"Keira..." His eyes moved from her face to the small, light bruises that had begun to form on the sides of her neck. Jak slowly placed a few weak fingers against the darkening skin. He let out a weak sob, "I'm so sorry..."

She placed her fingers over his, and shook her head, "I know. It's ok. But you have to wake up now, ok? You gotta get up."

"Yeah! That's right!" Daxter added, "You're making everyone all weepy... and I knooowww you hate doing that."

Jak gradually began to take in his surroundings, finally realizing there were other people in the room. He looked unsure, almost as if he didn't believe he was somewhere safe. He began to take deep, slow breaths to try and clear his head. His eyes gave away both the pain his body was in, and the obvious confusion to the situation.

"Finally!" Daxter leaned heavily against his friend, thoroughly exhausted, "You back?"

Jak lowered his head and slowly nodded, "I don't... don't remember..."

"S'ok. We'll fill ya in later." The ottsel replied, pushing away from his friend. He trudged back toward the bed, and sluggishly tried to pull himself up. He winced when his body refused.

Jak noticed, "Dax?" The young warrior let concern overtake his features, and tried to stand. He stumbled, and Keira did her best to hold him up. Damas had quickly made his way to the other side of the room and gripped his arm to help steady him. Jak didn't object, and let them lead him over to the bed.

Keira bent down to scoop the ottsel in her arms as they passed, and she gently deposited him on the mattress. Jak slowly eased himself down, cringing at a sudden pain in his chest. He one again placed a hand over his heart, and leaned forward. He tried his hardest to ignore the harrowing stares from all his friends as his mind raced. He was angry. There was rage boiling in his blood, and he shoved it back into the darkest recesses of his mind as best he could.

It was slowly coming back to him: Erol and the Terraformer had attacked. Keira getting hurt. Fending of the Dark-makers and Metal heads in the stadium district.

Then Erol had done something to him... he had attacked him with some strange form of Eco...

"The stadium... then Erol..." He was piecing together the sting of events.

Then he remembered waking up, laying face up on a cold, metal slab. Nearly glowing amber eyes looked down at him with a twisted sense of glee... his arms and legs were shackled, and there was a spinning, menacing disk above him.

Jak suddenly felt sick, and hunched forward, one hand still clutching his chest, the other his stomach.

Damas realized what was happening and quickly grabbed at a waste basket, placing one hand on the youth's back, and another holding the pail under his hunched form. Jak promptly released the contents of his stomach, and gasped in pain. He clenched his eyes shut as he slowly transitioned into a dry heave.

Daxter had to look away. He felt like a chump. He hadn't been able to keep his friend from reliving everything he had fought so hard to forget. He hadn't kept him safe. He closed his eyes and lowered his head in shame. Still, he had to be strong for Jak. He looked up at all the prying eyes in the room, "Ok, let's give the guy some space. Haul out!"

Sig, with Tess on his shoulder, nodded and shuffled out of the room first. Torn, and Ashelin immediately followed. Samos looked like he was about to object, but Daxter shot him a look of pure disdain and the Sage silently trotted out as well.

Keira placed a gentle hand on Jak's shoulder, and got up to leave. Jak instantly shook his head, and tried to stop her. He let loose a few, weak gasps, "please... stay..."

Damas stood quielty, still holding the waste bucket. He cleared his throat, slowly placing the bin on the floor, "I will leave then."

Daxter smacked his friend lightly in the back, and Jak stiffened, momentarily seeming to contemplate with himself. He continued to hang his head, "Damas..."

The wastelander nodded, crouching to one knee respectfully to look the troubled youth in the eye, "Yes?"

Jak stayed silent for a few several seconds, "Sorry..."

"For what?"

"I...disappointing you..."

Damas shook his head, "You have done no such thing."

Jak just groaned in reply. Unable to believe Damas's words.

The old king placed a calm, steady hand on Jak's shoulder, "Gather you're thoughts and calm yourself. I will be just outside. I would like... Perhaps..." He paused, and wearily sighed, "Perhaps it is time that we talk. There is much to be said."

Jak gave a weak nod, and placed his head in both hands.  
***

Ashelin stood with one hand braced against the wall in front of her, thoughts heavy. She was incredibly shaken, now understanding why Torn had been so restless earlier that morning. The governor felt useless. She never felt useless.

Torn had tried to describe Jak's scarred body to her, but she hadn't really believed it was as bad as he said. Now she felt it was worse... and to know her father had caused all of them? It devastated her. She wished she could make up for everything that had been done.

Torn noticed her obvious discomfort, and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, "We should go. We need to meet with Vin and Onin, remember?"

Ashelin nodded. They had agreed to meet the seer and Vin to discuss the search for the mysterious precursor machine that could supposedly save their world. Even though Erol been defeated, the earthquakes and tears hadn't stopped, and the situation was becoming more and more desperate.

She welcomed the distraction, "Right. Are you coming Samos?"

The Sage let out an annoyed sigh, "I suppose. "

Damas had just exited Jak's room, and slowly slumped down in one of the chairs. He gently palmed his injured arm. He'd still not taken the time to heal it properly.

Samos let loose another disapproving sigh and shook his head. Slowly he turned to leave, followed by the two soldiers.

Sig slumped down into the chair across from Damas. He stroked his face with a palm, "So..."

"So...?" Damas inquired, eyeing his old friend wearily.

"How you holding up?"

Damas was taken aback. He had no concern for himself, at the moment, "I am fine."

"Really?" Sig's eyebrow arched over his one good eye, "Bullshit. That's Mar in there, and you know it. I ain't seen him speak one word to you yet, and despite your high and mighty attitude... I know its gotta be getting to you. I know you better than that, Y_our Majesty."_

Sig was one of the few people that always called Damas by name. They had been friends long before Damas was King, and had remained so afterword. That was something that was obviously parallel in both worlds. Sig only used Damas's title in formal situations... or to get under his skin.

"If I am not mistaken, I should be calling you that." Damas replied. He glared for a moment, then relented, slouching further into his chair, "He has agreed to speak with me when he is able."

"Good." Sig replied, "After all this... I don't care which Damas is which, and what world you're from. It just doesn't matter no more." He paused, "And while I'm not about to just up and quit... if the world is fallin apart around us, then this might be yer last chance."

Damas nodded, "I agree."

Tess was still on Sig's shoulder, and she braced herself as the king stood.

"You ready to go?" Sig asked, turning to face her, "I need to let Seem know we're coming if we're gonna head out there for that Light Eco."

Tess nodded, "Yeah. I think I need to lay down. I'm not feelin so hot right now." The ottsel had one hand on her stomach, and looked a little queasy, "Give me a sec to say goodbye to Daxxie."

Sig nodded, and she climbed down and headed toward the door. She cracked it open, and slowly shuffled inside.

"You're gonna need another good cloak if yer coming to Spargus with us." Sig turned back to Damas, "Ain't a good idea to have a dead king suddenly walkin down the street.  
***

"Tess? Is something wrong?" Daxter's ears perked up when he heard his lover enter the room. He moved to get up, but she shook her hand, demanding he lay back down. She climbed up to him instead.

Jak was laying on his side, gently clutching his head. His eyes were red and watery, but a small, kind smile played at the corner of his lips when she aproached. Daxter was curled up on the bed next to him, and Keira was sitting in the chair, stroking Jak's hair slowly.

"I'm going back to the bar, snookums." Tess told him, "I just wanted to check up on my boys, and say goodbye."

Daxter pulled her close, and gently nuzzled her. He noticed that she hesitated, and frowned, "You ok babe?"

She nodded, and would have blushed if possible, "I'm fine... just tired. I was so worried about you. Both of you." Her bubbly, high pitched voice never sounded anything but happy.

Daxter gave her a big, toothy grin, "Aw shucks, you know better than to doubt the great Orange-Lightning."

Jak noticed her drained expression, and the careful hand she had on her stomach. He suddenly felt guilty. With everything going on the focus had been entirely on him. Even as hazy as his mind was now, he had one extremely clear thought. Slowly shifting himself up on an arm, he spoke with a raspy, decaying voice, "I'm ..sorry. I didn't congratulate you... yet... In person..."

Tess smiled, and trotted over to give Jak a light hug, "No worries hero boy. You just get better. We're gonna need all the help we get with the babysitting after all..."

"Hey, hands off my woman Jak!" Daxter stuck up a finger accusingly, "I might have to teach you a lesson. Or maybe, I'll just have to go after _your_ woman... " Daxter made a perverted grabby motion at Keira, who rolled her eyes and backed away.

Tess pulled away, and glared at Daxter. She gave him a small, playful kick in the rump, "You behave!"

Daxter yelped, obviously laying it on thick, and smiled, "Ah..ha babe, easy on the damaged goods. I'm fallin apart here, remember?"

Jak frowned. He tried to remember exactly what had happened, how Daxter had gotten hurt. He got brief flashes between bouts of darkness. Then an image of his best friend's motionless body slumped in a broken heap against a wall flashed into his head. Jak frowned, and rubbed his eyes... he had healed him. He had used his Light Eco to try and heal him... but it obviously hadn't been enough.

Jak let out a weak croak, "I'm sorry... Daxter... I couldn't heal ...more."

Daxter looked mortified, "Oh, no, Jak... No..."

Tess instantly had her arms around Jak's neck again, this time much more tightly. She gave him a peck on the cheek, and shook her head, "You stop that right now Jakie. You brought my Daxter back to me... I can't ever thank you enough for that. So you just get better, and let me worry about him, ok?"

Jak placed a weak hand on her back, and nodded. He tried to speak, but his voice didn't cooperate. His mind was slowly growing blank again, and it was nice to just be hugged. It distracted him from his darker thoughts.  
***

Jak had managed to get a few solid hours of sleep before his mind became restless. His body was entirely exhausted, and he could feel the utter lack of Light Eco as if it were a physical hole in his chest. The Dark Eco was creeping up, threatening to take control, and he had to concentrate to push it back down. He could scarcely focus on anything else... which was fine with him: He didn't want his mind to wander. He didn't want to remember the recent events.

He pushed himself up, carefully pulling the blankets off himself as not to disturb Daxter. It was fruitless, however, and the ottsel instantly woke. Keira had stayed sleeping in the chair. He wished he had the strength to move her to the bed without waking her. He didn't trust his body to not give out, so he decided to leave her there.

Daxter eyed Jak intently, and whispered "Where ya going?"

Jak shrugged, slowly pulling himself to his feet. He wobbled slightly, but caught his balance and moved toward a small pile of clothes that had been left for him.

He pulled the shirt over his shoulders, letting out a small gasp. His whole body had begun to ache. He looked down at his trembling hands, and clenched his fists to get them to stop moving. He noticed how filthy he was, dirt and dried blood stuck under his fingernails and still present on some of his skin. His friends had obviously tried to clean him up a bit, but it was in haste, and he was in desperate need of a shower.

The fresh, barely healed cuts around his wrists caught his eye, and he slowly rotated his arms to get a full view of them. Jak knew exactly what they were caused by. He had many faded, identical indents in his skin already.

Shackles.

He closed his eyes and dropped his arms to his sides, fists still clenched tightly. He knew there were other new wounds across his body. He could almost feel the cold, metal slab against his back, and a strong shudder ran down his spine. He leaned forward to catch himself on the table in front of him with one hand, and he clutched at his chest with the other.

"Jak?" Daxter slowly stood, "You ok, buddy?"

Jak shook his head, and leaned forward slightly. His heard was pounding wildly. After a few moments he slowly opened his eyes, and let out a long sigh, straightening his back. He turned back to his friend.

"Gonna shower..." Jak said, his voice having returned slightly. It was still rough, but it wasn't cutting in and out at the moment, "Stay with Keira..."

Daxter looked like he was about to object, but Jak shot him a pleading glance. He looked over to the sleeping girl, and slowly down at an open palm. He had almost strangled her. Part of him had wanted to... He would never, ever be able to forgive himself for that. His worst fear had almost come true in that moment.

The ottsel could practically read his mind, and he snapped his fingers to get Jak's attention, "Stop. Now. She's fine."

Jak didn't reply, but turned to leave.

"You aint gonna leave the palace without me, are you?" Daxter called after him, "I will chase you down."

"Just gonna shower..." Jak replied quietly, exiting the room.

Damas was laying across a couch that was in the waiting room beyond. He had one hand covering his face, but had cracked an eye open between his fingers when he had heard Jak step through the door.

He slowly sat up, giving the youth an inquisitive look.

"Gonna shower..." Jak told him, heading toward the hallway. He stopped, glancing back and forth. He suddenly realized he didn't know where he was going.

Damas stood, "Your friend, Ashelin, showed me where they were earlier today. I can take you."

Jak nodded, and let Damas lead the way. The wastelander moved slowly, having noticed that the youth was not at all steady on his feet. Several times he stumbled, and caught himself on a wall, or dazed out and fell behind. He did not turn to show concern or help, knowing that Jak was probably insistant to act on his own.

Jak's eyes wandered across Damas's features as he followed. The wastelander was older, his dreads slightly longer. He walked with the same proud strut, even if he lacked the staff that Jak had seen him without. He assumed Ashelin had given him his current attire, it being a mix of Haven fashion, and Damas's own armor.

Slowly his gaze shifted to his arm, and the hastily pulled bandages that wrapped it. Small spots of blood still seeped through, and Damas's palm was completely covered in gauze.

Jak stopped, and shook his head. Another shaky memory appeared, and he frowned, leaning against the wall.

Damas noticed, and turned to face him with non-judging eyes, "What is the matter?"

Jak could sense the small, traces of Dark Eco festering in Damas's wounds, and he looked down at his own hand. He wondered if the blood under his nails belong to the wastelander. His oversensitive smell suddenly kicked in, and he felt sick.

"I did that, didn't I?" Jak asked, not bothering to look up.

"The palm, no." Damas replied, honestly, "The arm, yes. It was because I caught you off guard. You reacted on instinct."

Jak didn't quite believe him, and slowly stepped forward. He may not be able to heal Damas's wound without Light Eco, but he did know a way that might make it feel a bit better.

"Uh...can I see?" Jak motioned with a palm, "Can you take off the bandages?"  
"I intend to once we reach the showers. The wounds need to be cleaned again anyway. I will tend to them after that."

Jak nodded, and they continued on. Eventually they came across a large empty L shaped locker room with several, stalled showers. Jak slowly shifted toward one and turned on the water, allowing it to warm itself. After a significant amount of time, he unclothed and stepped into the flowing water.

Damas kept his distance to give the youth privacy. He sat on a bench around the corner and carefully began to unwrap his bandages, wincing at how much the wound burned. He was foolish to let it go as long as he had without mending it, but his concerns were placed elsewhere. He moved briefly to a sink to clean the area, then returned to his bench, clenching a towel around his arm.

Jak leaned forward against the front wall of the shower, letting the warm water run in steady droplets down his back. It was comforting, washing away some of the pain. Slowly he cleaned himself, clearing away whatever filth he could find. His fingers scrubbed at his arms, and he was dismayed to feel small, sharp bumps under the skin near his elbows. They had not been there before.

His hands instantly went to his hairline, rubbing his head just underneath the locks. Two, barely noticeable bumps protruded from his skull under the skin, and his heart stopped. Quickly he ran his fingers through his hair, then reevaluated. They were still there.

His horns. That's where his horns were when he transformed into Dark Jak. There had never been evidence left behind before, and Jak began to tremble. Slowly he felt around other bones on his body, and grimaced when his hands met the back of his neck at his spine. Small, sharp, sensitive bumps that threatened to break the skin met his fingers, and he slumped forward, clenching his eyes tightly. It couldn't be real. He had to be imagining it.

Slowly he looked down to the dark, vein like patters that worked their way through the skin on his chest around his rib cage. Every inch of their length burned. He pressed a hand to his heart, and panicked slightly when he realized that they pulsed in tune with his heartbeat.

What had Erol done to him?

He then noticed small drips of dark crimson liquid flowing in the water below him, and he brought a hand up to his face. His nose had started bleeding again.

"Shit." Jak said aloud, and turned off the shower. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on hastily. Then he stole a washcloth, and held it tightly against his nose.

"Are you alright?" Damas asked from his bench, turning his head to follow the youth as he slowly trudged past him towards a mirror.

Jak didn't notice his inquiry, pulling the washcloth away. That's when Damas noticed the blood, and frowned.

Jak pushed the rag back up to his face as he studied himself in the mirror. After a few long minutes, he once again removed the washcloth. It seemed as though the nosebleed had subsided, and he used a bit of cold water from the sink below him to splash his face.

Jak slouched his head, still staring intently on the mirror. He opened his mouth, studying his teeth. Almost comically he reached up to pull back his lips slightly, getting a better view of his gumline.

His teeth were sharper. They weren't fangs by any means, but Jak swore they were sharper than they had been. He released his mouth, and coughed weakly.

He stared at his own reflection with such hatred, Damas thought he might break the mirror.

Jak glared at his own features, terrified at what he might see lurking below the surface. A sudden flash of swirling black danced across his eyes and he jumped back in shock, snapping them shut and covering them with his hands. He felt like he was loosing himself.

Damas was on his feet in an instant, his own wound forgotten. He placed a hand on Jak's shoulder and the youth shied away from the touch. He moved to a bench and sat. Damas studied his features, his experience barely hiding the concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine..." Jak finally said, pulling his hands from his face. He continued to stare at his palms, visibly shaken, "I think..."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing... I'm fine." Jak shook his head, and glanced over to Damas's arm. His voice was getting weak again, and his throat was tight. He wanted a distraction, "Let... let me see."

Damas held out his palm toward the youth, and Jak pulled away the towel. He slowly cocked his head to the side, eyes seeming to glaze as he studied the wound. He took a sharp breath, and slowly lowered a hand towards the puncture holes.

"Hmm.. I thought so..." Jak quietly mused to himself, almost in a trance, "It's gotta burn like a bitch."

A small, crackling bolt of Dark Eco sprang from Damas's wound to Jak's hand. It gave Damas a shock, but Jak had no reaction other than pulling his hand away.

"Sorry." Jak stated, still focused. "This might sting."

Jak let out a long sigh, then steadied himself. He gripped the back of Damas's wrist in one hand, and lowered his open palm over the wounds once again. Slowly he moved his hand down his arm, as if to brush something away.

Damas's muscles retracted instantly as several, darting jolts of Dark Eco were pulled violently from the wounds. They jumped haphazardly across Jak's own skin before vanishing.

That's when the old King realized that Jak was channeling the Dark Eco, removing it from Damas's body and absorbing it into his own. He tried to pull away, but Jak held fast, shaking his head and gritting his teeth, "Almost done."

To say it stung was an understatement. Damas had suffered many damages in his lifetime, and knew how to deal with pain... but even he had to admit that this particular event was somewhat overbearing.

Jak finished his task and took a long, sharp breath, letting Damas's wrist loose. The wastelander pulled away, using his free hand to hold his wounded arm steady.

"Give it a second. It'll feel a lot better." Jak instructed, hanging his head slightly. He had closed his eyes, "It's a good thing you _didn't_ use any Green Eco on it yet, or let Samos try. It woulda done a lot worse. They don't mix very well."

Damas knew Jak was speaking from experience, and nodded, "I did not realize it was tainted so."

Jak winced at the description, and Damas frowned. He mentally chastised himself for his poor choice of wording, "Er, I did not realize there was Dark Eco in the wound."

"Dark Eco corrupts everything it touches..." Jak let out a dark snicker, "_Everyone_ it touches. Your body didn't absorb it, that's why... It's why I could channel it out. I learned a lot while I was..."

Damas nodded, flexing his burnt hand tentatively. It did feel immensely better. He walked over to a supply cabinet, and began to rummage, spying what he needed. He returned to the bench with a small medical kit, and unlatched it. Inside was a small vial of Green Eco, along with several other supplies and numerous bandages. He held the vial of green liquid between his fingers, and smiled slightly.

"Channeling Green Eco is far more effective than pouring it directly on the wound." Damas stated.

"I can't channel it anymore." Jak admitted, flushing slightly, "...and I'm out of Light Eco...I'm sorry."

"No need." Damas replied, pulling the lid off the small bottle in front of him, "I am not so useless." Instead of pouring it on his arm he promptly swallowed it.

Jak gasped, and turned wide, curious eyes to watch. Damas was no expert, that much was obvious. Jak could almost feel as the older man struggled slightly. In the end he was able to focus, and he hovered his good hand above his arm much as Jak had earlier. The wounds slowly began to close, sinewy muscle and skin stretching shut. Pouring Eco on the wound would have been quick and dirty, but channeling allowed it to heal more thoroughly over a short amount of time.

There wasn't enough Eco to do much more than close the wounds. His hand was still discolored and ached, but it was no longer raw. Damas let out a gasp as he finished, and tested out his fingers. It was not a perfect job, but it was good enough for now. Plus, it was better than letting the Sage deal with it.

Jak looked slightly impressed, "I didn't know you could channel."

"The Sage said much the same... and I will give you the same answer. Where do you think _you _got it from?" Damas looked proud.

Jak flushed slightly, looking away. It was the first time Damas had brought up their relation. He glanced around, "maybe... we should go back..."

Damas noticed that Jak's voice was beginning to weaken again, and his eyes were unfocused. He was sill exhausted, and no doubt very troubled. He agreed. A locker room was no place for a conversation such as this, and now was probably not the time.  
***

"I'm not going to just give up!" Ashelin cursed, and cocked one hip to the side slightly. She placed a hand on it, "We need to know where that machine is!"

"We're trying, lady Ashelin, but it's not as simple as waving our magic wands!" Samos replied, "If the machine is inactive, it is unlikely it will give off a signal for Vin to trace... and with the circumstances, Onin's visions are branching in far too many directions to rely on."

Onin nodded slightly, and pecker translated, "Most threads lead to ruin."

Torn was just as annoyed as Ashelin. Dealing with the more mystically minded of their group tended to be extremely taxing He trusted and respected the Shadow, but sometimes he wanted to just yell at the old man.

"There is... another thing." Pecker continued, "Involving Jak..."

Ashelin's eyes narrowed, "What about Jak?"

"Both Onin's visions, and the words I receive from the plants coincide. Jak's fate is key to our worlds survival..." Samos hesitated, "...and I fear that we are loosing him."

"What do you mean?" The concern was evident in her voice, "I thought Damas said he knew where to get more Light Eco for Jak to absorb?"

Samos was silent for a few moments, then he sighed, "I am not certain it will be enough to save him."

"Why not?" Torn was getting tired of the verbal dance around the subject. He disliked how they would pick and choose the information they would share.

Finally the Sage shrugged, "His mind and body are crumbling. Even with the Light Eco, which we still don't know much about, I fear that whatever Erol has done to him has taken root and will not be so easily dispelled. I have long suspected the Dark Eco would take it's toll eventually."

"Onin says Jak's threads are unraveling even faster than our world's. They are _corrupted_, and shrouded in darkness. We can only hope he will survive long enough to play his part." Pecker spoke coldly, " If we find the machine, that is."

It was Torn's turn to glare. The way the moncaw had spoken made his skin crawl. The inflection in his voice suggested that the Sage and seer felt no remorse or concern for Jak... only for what he could do for them. It was cruel, especially if you considered how much 'fate' and 'destiny' had already screwed him over.

Torn knew about sacrificing for the greater good. It was something he had done, something that still wrestled with him to this very day. The commander had often insisted he was just using Jak for the underground back in the day, but it wasn't really true. Jak had been incredibly reliable, and Torn had quickly grown to respect him. Especially now, after everything they had been through... How could they dismiss the kid so easily? It wasn't something he expected from the Shadow, and Torn was beginning to question his faith in him. Perhaps the man had changed far more than Torn realized since his younger self led the rebellion.

"Excuse you?" Ashelin frowned, straightening her back. It seemed as though she shared Torn's sentiment. She focused an icy stare, "Huh. You know what? We're done here. Don't call me unless you find the machine."

Torn followed her out of the tent, and they climbed silently into the waiting hellcat. She placed her hands on the wheel, and sat still for a moment. The anger in her eyes flashed, "They sound like my father."

Torn grunted in agreement, "What do you want to do?"

She started the hellcat and pushed it into the upper hover zone, "I have to stay here, you go with the others to Spargus."

"What?" Torn snapped his head to face her, "What if the tears open up again, or more Dark-Makers attack?"

"I can handle myself, and I'll have the entire KG to back me up." Ashelin replied, "I want eyes and ears in the desert, Torn. I want to know exactly what happens. I'd go myself but like you said... what if there's another attack? Doesn't look good if the Governer is up and missing all of a sudden."

Torn let out a groan, "I hate the desert."

Ashelin smirked, and gave him a playful jab, "What's the matter? Big bad Torn afraid of a few scary wastelanders?"

He eyed her cynically, "You've been hanging around Daxter too much."

She laughed out loud.  
***

It was late. They had agreed to head out to Spargus the following morning, in order to give Jak more time to recover. He had been eager to move once he heard about the possible source of Light Eco, but everyone else stubbornly insisted that he rest. It agitated him, and he knew he had probably said some pretty nasty things.

They couldn't leave him behind and collect the Eco to bring back: Light Eco was just as tricky as Dark, if not more so. If it was a vent, Jak would have to channel and convert it directly from the source. If it was liquid, they were unsure of how to handle and store it, so once again, Jak would have to absorb it directly.

He wanted to move, but he knew his friends were right. His body needed the rest. He sighed, pulling a hand back up to his hairline to feel at the bumps beneath the skin. His heart sank... they were still there. He closed his eyes and let out a defeated, tired sigh.

Daxter watched his friend silently in the dark. Jak was sitting up in bed, obviously distracted by something that troubled him deeply. Keira had gone back to the bar, Jak offering the use of his apartment for as long as she needed. It was just the two of them in the quiet recovery room.

"Hey bud, what's wrong?" Daxter asked, lifting his head up the chair's armrest.

Jak jumped, startled slightly by the voice. He hadn't realized Daxter was awake. A flash of anger surged through his body... he felt like the ottsel was spying on him.

'No...' Jak thought, compressing the unwanted emotion, 'No he's not.'

"Jak?" Daxter could tell his best friend was edgy, which was unsurprising considering everything he'd been through the last few days. His current Eco levels couldn't be helping either. Every few hours Jak would spring awake in pain or fear, and Daxter had been woken each time.

Jak's let out a weak, raspy cough, then spoke, "I think..." He struggled with his words, "I'm turning into Gol..."

"What?!" Daxter pushed himself up to better look at his friend, "That's just stupid."

"There's too much Dark Eco..." Jak choked, "Erol... he..."

"You're nothing like that nutjob."

"Dax... come here."

Daxter cocked his head to the side curiously, but complied. He heaved his body over to the bed, and found himself face to face with his best friend's panicked expression. "Man, Jak, if you wanted to cuddle, you just had to ask."

Jak snatched one of ottsel's hands and leaned forward. He forced the small, furry fingers to his scalp just above his hairline.

"What, Jak, what are you doing?" Daxter looked surprised, and tried to pull away.

Jak held on, and shook his head, "Just.. tell me I'm crazy Dax, please..."

Daxter wiggled his fingers slightly, brushing against Jak's skin, "I don't..." He grew quiet suddenly as he felt a small, sharp bump that seemed to grow right out of the youth's skull. His eyes widened when he realized what it was.

Daxter's expression told Jak everything he needed to know, and he somberly pulled away. He covered his face with both hands, and pulled his knees to his chest. An angry, low growl escaped from his lips, and he clenched his hand into a fist, smacking his forehead.

The ottsel hadn't moved, hand still outstretched, "Jak..." Shaking his head, he slowly moved forward, "You're not Gol. You're nothing like him. We're gonna go get you some of that Light-Eco, and fix you right up."

Jak sighed, slumping down and rolling to his side, "I can't..." His eyelids were growing heavy all of a sudden, and he fought to keep them open. The restlessness of his mind was giving in to the need's of his tattered body, "I can't do this anymore Dax..."

Daxter slowly moved forward, placing a hand on his friend's forearm, "Jak... We're gonna fix this."

It fell on deaf ears. Jak had already fallen back to sleep.

* * *

**Authors note: **Thanks again for reading guys. I promise the next chapter's gonna be a little lighter/more adventury.


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's notes: ** Back again. This chapter was originally going to have another whole scene, but when I checked the word count I realized that it's already pretty long, so I'll be the intro scene of the next chapter. I'm actually kinda looking forward to it, as it's more adventury and fun, getting away from the moody character moments. Expect it sooner, rather than later, because I'm eager to write it.

Katpet: Haha, I love your enthusiastic reviews. They definatly make me crack a smile. Thank's so much for the continuous support. I definatly try to give each character their shining moments. Jak is the hero, but the supporting cast area all equally badass, and deserve to be fleshed out.

Oblique Strategies: Yeah, I always kinda felt like their should be more of a connection mentioned between Gol and Jak. Even though Gol was twisted over a lifetime of study, and Jak was force fed Dark Eco until he snapped, they were both physically changed by the stuff in a similar way. To me it seemed like Gol only had more control because of his slow decent into madness, compared to Jak's violently quick transition. Jak isn't dumb, and I feel like he would draw the conclusions himself.

CHAPTER EIGHT

* * *

Seem stood at Spargus's large, gear like gates as she waited for the Havenite transport to arrive. Her form was impossibly stiff, which to those who knew her was completely normal. She was alone, her painted white skin standing out against the Golden yellow of the desert and stone walls surrounding her.

The hovering vehicle roughly landed, kicking up small clouds of sand in it's wake. Sig, Damas and Torn sat on one bench, each scrambling to gather their belongings. Jak had spread out across the other, fatigue taking it's toll. He was lying on his side facing away from them, and had slept most of the trip. Occasionally his body would shudder as if he was cold, or he'd let out a small cough, and the other passengers would share a small, private glance of concern.

Daxter had refused once again to be left behind, and Samos had done his best to pump him as full of Green Eco healing as he could. The ottsel insisted he was fine, but every once and a while he'd let out a small wince or his bones would loudly creek, betraying his still lingering injuries. He refused to acknowledge any of it. He sat on the floor, back again's Jak's bench, and cracked endless jokes or told tall tales of their past endeavors. He had hardly silenced himself since they boarded.

Sig enjoyed Daxter's upbeat attitude. It did wonders to raise the spirits of those around him, especially after the past few days. He interacted with the rambling ottsel more than the other two warriors, though they both occasionally opted to comment. Torn would mostly mock or roll his eyes, and Damas would switch between intently listening or turning him out.

Finally the transport door slid open, and the three conscious men stood to leave. Each had a small pack, and Sig glanced over to make sure Damas had covered his features with his hood. When they were ready the wastelander gave Jak a light tap on the boot to wake him.

Jak stirred sluggishly, momentarily disoriented with this surroundings. He gave Sig a wide eyed look, then shook his head, remembering the current situation. Eventually he shifted off the bench and grabbed his bag.

Sig frowned inwardly. It was troubling to watch how slowly the youth moved. It was like Jak had to think about each motion, and couldn't focus on more than one action at a time. Daxter climbed carefully to his usual perch on his friend's shoulder, and gave him a toothy smile, "Let's blow this pile a'scrap."

Jak nodded, and trudged into the bright, harsh sands of the wasteland with a hand up to protect his face from the glare. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The air was so much fresher in Spargus than it was in Haven, and it had been a pretty long time since he had visited.

Sig had sent word ahead to Seem about the current circumstances, and the monk had agreed that it was best to keep Damas's identity a secret. Still, in the privacy of the desert she bowed her head deep in respect.

Damas held up a hand, and shook his head, "I am not your king. You need not address me as such."

Seem's ever emotionless face gave no indication of her inner thoughts on the matter, "If that is what you wish." She turned to face the current king, bowing her head once again, "Your Majesty. The monks have finished their reports on the current events in Spargus, and I had them delivered to your quarters."

Sig sighed, moving a hand to scratch the back of his head. Jak had always gotten the feeling that Sig would never get used to the formal titles and greetings. "Thanks Seem."

Finally the monk turned a steady eye to Jak, and shifted forward through the sand. He had been standing several feet back to avoid the attention he knew was inevitable.

"Your Highness." She brought her hand up to make a complicated sign of respect with her fingers, closing her crimson eyes in prayer.

"I told you not to call me that..." Jak mumbled, turning away. He wasn't sure he could handle dealing with the Eco monk at the moment. He didn't dislike Seem, by any means. In fact, over the last few years they had both grown to mutually respect and somewhat understand one another. Any other time he probably would have just brushed her off, ignoring how good she was a getting under his skin.

Unfortunately he was currently struggling with himself, trying to fight back the surging Dark Eco that was currently running unrestrained throughout his system. His mind was also a complete mess, and he tried desperately to ignore the solemn thoughts and memories that plagued him. It took everything he had to keep up his outwardly calm facade, when internally he just wanted to scream at everyone. He resisted the urge to snap.

She opened her eyes, moving her hands back to her sides, "Yes. Forgive me, Prince Mar."

Jak let out an exasperated sigh, pulling his hand down his face. He almost growled as he reminded her for the umpteenth time, "Jak, Seem. Just Jak."

The monk gave a rare look of annoyance that only the youth seemed able to expose, but it quickly faded from her face. "You do not look well, Jak. I have been told of your current dilemma. As requested, I have gathered my two most trusted healers to examine you before the expedition to the temple."

It was Jak's turn to look annoyed. His eyes narrowed, and he let out an irked huff. He didn't object, however, as he had already had the argument with his friends. After a long heated confrontation between him, Sig, and Damas, Jak had finally agreed to let the monks make an assessment. 'After all' Damas had pointed out, 'They know more about the Light and Dark Eco than any other.'

His friends had all been relieved when he finally relented. In all honesty, it was Daxter that had convinced him in the end. With a joke and a harsh scolding, the ottsel had made his point and Jak was tired of fighting.

"Fine." Jak spat, shoving past the monk as he forced back a sudden surge of anger. He ignored the various levels of dismayed stares from his comrades, and stomped his way through the sands toward Spargus. He tried to calm himself by focusing on the gentle breeze and intense quietness, but it only seemed to magnify his discomfort.  
***

Damas sat silently in a large timeworn chair. They were in his old private quarters, which he was amused to find out had been passed on to Jak. When he asked Sig whey he hadn't taken them himself as the current king, his friend had replied that it just didn't feel right, and that he didn't really want that much space.

The suite they were in was sectioned into two separate areas. The first was a large, square foyer and living area that housed several cushioned chairs, as well as a small, humble love seat. Along one wall facing the seating arrangement was a large stone fireplace that was used to combat the frigid desert nights. Various colorful but worn tapestries hung on the walls, and several potted desert plants made the room feel surprisingly large. There was even running water that flowed through the walls and floor, much like the palace's throne room.

The second area was a large, round bedroom. The mattress wasn't overly sized, and sat directly on the floor. It was covered in several thick animal furs, and a wide array of plush, muted pillows. A small but ornate chest sat at the foot of the bed, holding multiple changes of clothes and a varying degree of supplies Jak had hidden away on past visits. On the far side of the room, to the right of the bed, was a large balcony that overlooked the city below it. Currently the doors were open, allowing a strong ocean breeze to cool the chambers. The two areas were separated by a thin folding wooden door that was currently standing slightly ajar.

It was through this door that Damas stole the occasional observant glance at the monks who were examining his son. Torn had chosen to lay across the love seat, feet propped unceremoniously over one armrest, while his arms were tucked behind his head at the other. Sig was sitting quietly in another chair, thumbing heavy handed through the reports the monks had left for him. None of them had donned in any sort of armor yet, forgoing it to avoid getting too warm while they waited.

Jak stood stiffly, silently allowing Seem and the other two monks she had brought to look him over. His shirt was sprawled across the chest behind him, and he absentmindedly hunched his shoulders to try and hide his exposed skin. His pure unease seemed to saturate the air, though the senior monk appeared to be impervious to it.

Seem was one of the few people who had always known of his dual Eco makeup. She had spent her entire life worshiping Light Eco, and studying its connection to its dark counterpart. Jak knew he could approach her to ask the questions he couldn't get the answers for elsewhere. She had even dabbled in channeling Light Eco herself, only to be deterred when her body couldn't handle much more than the most basic motions. Even though Light Eco was considered pure, it was just as dangerous to manipulate as Dark Eco. The rare substance was just too powerful for the average channeler to get a grasp of, and even then, the actual ability to draw it into the body was extremely taxing. It didn't help that fewer and fewer people were born who could channel Eco at all. The only remaining Sage was Samos.

The stoic monk tilted her head a small, almost unnoticeable amount. She promptly placed two, steady fingers on the violet patterns on Jak's bare chest.

Jak instantly recoiled, cringing with an almost betrayed look. He quickly angered at the invasion of his personal space. He wasn't comfortable at being touched by anyone but a few, very select individuals. He turned his sapphire eyes on her with a vindictive glare, a low coarse growl bubbling up from his throat.

She didn't back down, instead turning her own annoyed glare at the young prince in front of her, "Forgive me, but I must assess exactly _what_ is ailing you."

He stood rigidly, head angled slightly low. His eyes were still focused darkly on her, and he wore an unsettling smirk, as if daring her to approach again.

Seem immediately sensed the Dark Eco emanating from him and she frowned, motioning for the other two monks to back away. "You must not let it take control, Jak. Remember all that you have endured these past few years to gain the mastery of your own mind."

"You don't get to talk about what I've _endured._" Jak replied quietly, but harshly. "You have no idea."

Daxter had been relaxing on the balcony when he noticed the showdown forming. He pushed himself up and casually strode to stand between the two individuals. Turning to face his friend, he defiantly waved a finger, "She's just trying to help, don't be dumb."

Jak's eyes darted back and forth between the ottsel at his feet, and the monk in front of him. His lips were pulled thin, as if he wanted to object, but he stayed silent.

The other two monks now stood further away, posture suggesting they were undeterred. Jak knew better. He could smell the fear drifting off them, and that highly amused him. They knew he could tear them apart before they could even think about screaming... It would be so easy.

"Jak!" Daxter's stern voice brought him back to reality. He focused all his attention on floor, the cruel, dark thoughts melting away. He flushed slightly, unwilling to face those in front of him. He mentally kicked himself for letting his mind slip as far as it had. He coughed meekly, focusing on settling his mind.

After a few seconds he let out a calm, steady breath and swallowed, "Sorry. Ok..."

Seem's stiff demeanor never faded, and she quickly approached in case he changed his mind. Confidently she once again placed two painted fingers against his skin. He kept his gaze away from hers, and tensed, but didn't pull away.

Her gaze narrowed as she concentrated, and she drew a sharp breath. A brief flash of bewilderment filled her eyes, but she quickly regained control of her emotions. "I request permission to try something." Seem asked, looking up to seek the young warriors approval. He turned his head back with an inquisitive look of his own, then noticed the strange desperation that hid just below the surface of her eyes. Slowly he nodded.

"This may be unpleasant." The monk apologized, bringing her free hand up to make several twisted gestures in front of her lips. She closed her eyes and focused inwardly.

Jak's chest erupted into a flash of burning pain, and he gasped, eyes wide. He involuntarily tried to pull away, but she had quickly snagged his arm to stop him. After a few agonizing seconds there was a sudden, sharp crack of Eco in the air and Seem let out an abrupt cry as they were both thrown off their feet in opposite directions. Jak tumbled backwards over the chest and onto the bed, and Seem collided violently into one of her other monks. She slid weakly to the ground, gripping the hand she had touched Jak with tightly.

Damas and the others were on their feet in an instant, quickly shoving into the room to see what had happened. Seem was nurturing her hand intently, obviously shaken. The other two monks were carefully trying to pull her to to her feet.

Jak had rolled to his hands and knees, one hand gripped tightly to the spot below his heart. His breathing was extremely labored, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. He tried to push himself up, but collapsed back forward with a violent, hacking cough. The thin, purple lines were pulsing rapidly in time with his heartbeat.

Daxter was already at his side trying unsuccessfully to support him. Damas rushed over and dropped to a crouch as he gripped the young warrior under the arm to help hold his weight, in case he suddenly collapsed. The wastelander grew concerned at how cold and clammy Jak's skin was, but held his composure. Jak let out a harrowing wheeze as he tried to regain his breath. His hand was digging so hard into his rib cage that Damas thought he might break the skin, and the old king carefully tried to pry the fingers away.

The pain was reminiscent of the strange attack that Erol had used to stop him dead in his tracks before. It didn't last very long however, and Jak slowly found himself returning to his senses. His body still shuddered frantically, and he struggled to settle it. After several more agonizing seconds he was able to turn his head enough to view the monk, "Wha... What.."

She shook her head as if trying to clear her own thoughts and slowly stood, pulling forcefully free from her fellow monks as she walked towards the youth.

"What... the hell... was that...?" Jak heaved, struggling to get the words out. His eyes were still wide with shock, but his body was no longer shaking. He was able to support himself, and Damas carefully released him, straightening his back to give Jak room without fully leaving his side. Jak groaned loudly, once again bringing a hand to the pulsing veins beneath his skin. He didn't dig in this time, but he was obviously still in an immense amount of pain.

"I... I apologize... your highness." Seem bowed, still shaking her head, taking a sharp breath to collect her nerves, "I did not know that would happen..."

"Obviously!" Jak barked, still gasping for air. He clenched his eyes shut and bit by bit positioned himself so that he sat facing her, "What... Did you... do?"

She closed her eyes, still clenching her damaged fingers. Everyone could see the raw burns that ran up her knuckles and across her wrist, as if she had been struck by lightning. Blisters had begun to form, and warm, thick blood bubbled to the surface, "Prince Mar... Jak... There is Light Eco in that wound."

"What!?" Jak's pupils seemed to dilate in surprise. He snapped his eyes shut and brought his hand further up on his chest to his heart. He concentrated as hard as he could, and sweat began to form on his brow. He tried to dig deep, searching for that familiar, calming tug that had become so essential to his being. He found nothing but darkness, and let out a dejected groan, "No... No there's not any... I can't feel any..." He winced, fighting back the rush of twisting Dark Eco that tried to claw it's way forward, "I used it all... It's all gone..."

"It is not... pure..." Seem looked almost as if she didn't believe her own words, "It is not _yours_. It is..." She hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Jak almost knew the words before she uttered them. A sudden unwanted memory flooded his mind.

_"No interruptions!" Erol demanded, finally standing next to his prey, "So Jak..."_

_He lightly used his foot to kick Jak in the ribs, forcing the struggling warrior onto his side. Jak coughed harshly, eyes trying to focus on Erol. All he could make out were his intense amber eyes._

_"__It's corrupted Blue Eco." Erol explained, "Interesting, isn't it? Your body can't handle that at all, can it?"_

Jak clenched his eyes shut and brought his knees to his chest, "No... No... "

"Somehow it has been _corrupted._" Seem explained, glancing to her own marred fingers, "I did not think such a thing possible."

"No." Jak repeated, hiding his face, "If it was there, I would feel it. I'd be able to tell."

"Like the Dark Eco, perhaps, it lies ever dormant." Seem tried to hypothesize.

"Seem, I can feel all of the Dark Eco." Jak explained desperately, "All of it. Even when there's not enough for me to _use._ It's..." He paused, finding his words, "It's in my blood. I can feel it burning in my veins..."

"I do not think this is the same." Seem replied calmly, "This is... somehow disconnected from your grasp. I do not know how, but I assure you of it's presence."

He continued to shake his head in disbelief for a few seconds before he grew abruptly still, snapping his head up, "Oh, no... not now... Not right now..."

"Jak?" Daxter noticed that his friend had once again begun to tremble. The air outside had grown abnormally quiet as well.

"No.. get out..." Jak pulled himself away quickly cupping his temples in his hands, "You... You gotta get out of here..."

"What's wrong?" Daxter demanded, approaching cautiously. He noticed the quick jolt of Dark Eco that snapped across Jak's arm and stopped, "Talk to me bud..."

"It's coming..." Jak replied, "The tears...The... Dark Eco..."

A small rumble erupted from below their feet, and Daxter's eyes widened in recognition, "Uh.. guys..."

"Arrrgghhh..." Jak slumped forward, "Get... Get out... I can't... Not right now... I'm sorry... Sorry..."

The ground cracked loudly as the world around them shook, and Jak howled in pain. Daxter mind raced, running over to the door of the balcony and slamming it shut. If Jak was about to transform, he didn't want him escaping to the streets below. His fur stood on end as the Dark Eco from another world filled the air around them, and he waved his arms at the others, "You heard him..."

A low, animalistic growl escaped from clenched fangs, and Jak gasped for breath, "GET OUT!"

They all turned to move, and there was a sudden eruption of Eco in the air around them. Jak's body lunged forward, still growing claws outstretched. He stumbled, obviously fighting with himself as he quickly transitioned from human to monster. He pulled back, and clawed hands met horns as he let out a hoarse cry caused by the shifting bones in his body.

His black eyes snapped open and he roared in rage at the world that was shaking all around him. He was on his feet now, hunched over and pacing as small tears began to open up around them.

The others were almost out of the room when he decided to turn his attention on them. Inky black eyes narrowed, and his lips stretched open to a twisted dagger filled smile as he raced forward to catch his new prey.

Sig was the last one out of the room. He and Damas quickly turned to shove the large, reinforced doors closed behind them. There was a click as they snapped shut, and Sig let loose a small sigh of relief. It was somewhat short lived when there was a loud, heavy thud against the other side of the door, followed by an equally loud crack as five, thick black claws punctured the surface just inches from the king's face. He quickly jumped back in surprise, and backed away slowly. They all tensed, worried that Dark Jak would take the door down.

"Oh, stop that!" Daxter's voice suddenly drifted from the room, and realization snapped across everyone's features. They had left him behind. Sig quickly acted to open the door, but Damas placed a steady hand against his shoulder to stop him.

"I don't think the ottsel in danger. Even as irrational as he becomes in this state, he seems to recognize his friend." The wastelander explained, "He even tried to protect him before, remember?"

"I hope you're right." Sig sighed, placing a heavy hand against his brow. He slowly stepped away just as the shaking around them began to subside. He was incredibly thankful that the palace was as sturdy as it was. It seemed as though the quakes hadn't done any significant damage to it's structure... but he knew some of the outside dwellings wouldn't be as lucky. He would have to assign a team of wastelanders and monks to repair the damages.

Damas glanced around at the tears, intently peaking into each one before they dissipated. One after another he was met with darkness or ruin. He had yet to see a single, living soul. That is, until he glanced into one, tiny flickering rupture. His heart stopped. A furry, worn figure was lying with it's back against a crumbling wall, head downcast in a defeated way that made him seem entirely too pathetic. His fancy robes were covered in dirt, and most the world around him was dark and indistinguishable.

"Precursor!" Damas breathed, "Look at me, you fool!"

The Precursor on the other side of the tear twitched, his ears shifting slightly. He opened his near lifeless eyes and turned his head slowly. Recognition overcame his features, and he shifted forward, barely able to stand, "Damas... What are... you?" His eyes narrowed with agitation, "You went through... I warned... you..."

"It doesn't matter. Where is the device!?" The old king demanded, letting his rage overtake him, "I will not let our world be the destruction of another! Where is the machine!"

"What?" The precursor shook his head, "Oh... OH... But without Jak..."

"In this world he lived!" Damas shouted, "Do you understand? This world is crumbling because of us... and he is here, alive!"

The Precursor's brow rose, and he opened his mouth to speak, "He's alive?" His eyes seemed to shine with new vigor, "It is too late for us... but perhaps not for..."

The tear abruptly closed, crackling shut with a quiet hiss.

"NO!" Damas reached out, grabbing in vain at the now empty air in front of him. He cast his eyes up and down the hall, hopelessly searching for another tear. They were gone, and the world stood silently still.

Damas shook with rage, clenching his jaw tight. He had been so close. Sig placed a calm hand on his shoulder, and gave him a kind, understanding look, "You tried..."  
They both jumped as another loud crash came from the room Dark Jak and Daxter were currently inhabiting.

"JAAAAK, I LIKED THAT CHAIR!" Daxter screeched, "Oh, no. DON'T! NOT THE..."

Another thud, followed by a loud clang.

"DAMMIT JAK, WHAT DID THAT CACTUS EVER DO TO YOU?"

A strange, unfamiliar whimper echoed, and the group outside the doors shared skeptical glances with one another.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!" Daxter scolded, "KARMA BABY, KARMA..."

***  
"Damn!" Ashelin gripped her shoulder tightly, stemming the blood flow. Several shots whizzed above her head, and she quickly reloaded her blaster, "Any time now, Vin!"

"Yes, Yes... almost..." Vin's spider-bot was connecting directly with the long inactive turret near her feet. They were in the industrial district, and had been surrounded when the earthquake caught them off guard.

"Remember, no civies!" Ashelin cried, taking several wild shots at the incoming Metal-Heads.

"Yes... I..." The spider-bot suddenly went rigid, "Ah, there!"

The turret sprang to life and showered the oncoming threat in precise, searing yellow Eco blasts. All over the city several more were activating, having been mutually hacked by Vin. Each one was newly programmed to fire only at the Metal-Heads or Dark-Maker bots.

The monsters hadn't all come from the tears. As the earthquake hit, the city had been bombarded by a sudden rush of attacking forces from several different directions. The implication sat heavy in Ashelin's heart, and she hoped she was wrong.

Eventually the enemies thinned, but they had definitely taken heavy casualties. The KG had fought valiantly, but were initially overwhelmed until Vin was able to support them from afar. The turrets had originally been disabled in an attempt to show the people there was no longer a need to fear the soldiers or government. With no tyrant, there was no need for such vicious weapons.

"Thanks, Vin..." Ashelin sighed heavily, still gripping at her injured shoulder. Blood was soaking her jacket, and had begun to run down her back.

"No problem... are you ok?" Vin asked, a genuine hint of concern in his voice, "I can get Samos."

"No." The redhead replied, "I'll get it checked out back at the palace." She was still pissed off by the Sage's cold declarations the previous day. For someone who had supposedly _raised_ Jak, he seemed to have a severe lack of empathy for him. It disturbed her to the core. If she had learned anything over the past few days, it was that people needed to stop treating Jak as an all purpose tool. Her friend was quickly falling apart at the seems, and even if he was suddenly lashing out, she wanted to help. She knew she couldn't truly comprehend the pain he was in, but she could try and be supportive.

Ashelin sighed, grabbing her com-link. She needed to check on the others. Her fingers quickly danced across the keypad, "Tess?"

A shaky, quiet voice answered, "Ashelin?"

The tone of the ottsel's voice suggested something was deeply wrong. "Tess? Are you ok?"

Static, followed by a weak sniffle, "He was at the bar..."

The governor's eyes widened in fear for her friend, and without hesitating she raced toward her hellcat, com-link hovering behind her, "Who was, Tess!?" Vin quickly scrambled into the seat beside her.

"Erol..."

Ashelin's blood went cold as she shifted her vehicle to the upper hover zone, "Are you ok?"

"He trashed the bar... Thank the Precursors Keira wasn't still here..." Tess continued, "...But I got him... no one messes with my Daxxie like he did."

"Tess?!" Ashelin pushed the Hellcat as hard as she could, "Tess, what's wrong?"

"I'm stuck..." Tess replied, "I can't get out."

"I'm coming, but I need to know where you are!"

"The port... I escaped through the basement of the bar, into an old water main Krew used to use to smuggle... but there was an explosion and now I'm pinned down and there's a lot of water coming in..."

"Is Erol still there?" Ashelin demanded, dodging the obstacles in her path. The speed and recklessness she was moving at would have made Jak proud.

"I don't think so..." Tess replied, "I got him good... He ran off..."

"I'm on my way Tess, hang on!" Ashelin could now faintly hear the sound of running water in the background, "I'm going to get you out of there."

"Ok..." The reply was quiet, and the line suddenly died out.

"Dammit!" Ashelin punched another number into her com. It connected directly to all of her current acting squad leaders, "This is Governor Ashelin Praxis. I want every unit we have scouring the city, now. Erol may be loose in the city. I repeat, enemy number one, Erol, may be loose in the city. Fan out, and check every alleyway and hideaway you find. I want him found. Do you understand?"

Several 'yes ma'ams' echoed loudly back at her. She knew the troops were eager to prove themselves after Erol's stunt with the Terraformer.

"I hope Tess is ok..." Vin stated from his spider-bot next to her. He sat silently for a second, camera absorbing the city that surrounded him. His small form jerked suddenly, "Uh... Ashelin?"

"What?"

"The sky... look!"

She quickly glanced up and focused her attention to the open air above her. At first, she couldn't see what Vin was trying to point out. But as she raced through the city she saw the eerie cracking lines that should have disappeared once the quake ended. They were incredibly faint, and would be easy to miss, but were definitely still present. The jagged patterns stretched from horizon to horizon, threatening to tear the sky apart.  
***

"I don't hear anything." Torn stated, looking up at door in front of him.

Seem had remained, but had sent her two subordinates to assess the damages done to the city. She turned one ear to the door, and nodded, "It appears as though he has ceased his rampage."

Sig tapped his knuckles lightly on the door.

"We're good. You can come in now." Daxter's reply was quick, "Ugh, Jak, hold still, I can't get them all if you keep pulling away like that!"

The king gently pulled the door open, and they slowly made their way inside. Several, splintered pieces of furniture had been strewn about the room in a twisted mess. The chair that Damas had occupied earlier was in multiple pieces, with part of the arm rest jutting sharply out of the door behind them.

Many of the plush pillows had been ripped apart, and piles of lightly colored feathers decorated the floor around their feet. Long, sharp claw marks were newly engraved in a few of the walls, and one of the tapestries was shredded and draped across the overturned love seat.

Jak sat crossed leg on the floor in the bedroom. He had a thick animal skin blanket draped over his pale, trembling form. His right arm was weakly extended toward the annoyed ottsel that stood just in front of him. Embedded in the skin from palm to nearly his elbow were hundreds of thin, sharp cactus needles. The youth took one look at his friends and flushed deeply, embarrassed by his pitiful state. Daxter yanked hard on another needle and Jak hissed, pulling back.

"Nope. Give it back. Stop moving." Daxter demanded, "It's what ya get..."

Jak nodded silently, extending his hand once more. His breathing was somewhat raspy, but otherwise he seemed outwardly fine.

"Sorry..." Jak didn't face his friends. He was both ashamed and angry at himself for loosing control once again. It seemed as though all the progress he had made the past two years had come crashing down all at once, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was loosing himself again, loosing the humanity he had struggled so hard to regain. He couldn't bring himself to meet any of their eyes, "I couldn't stop it..."

Damas noticed small droplets of blood on the floor near Jak and frowned, bringing his eyes up to the slumping youth. It was faint, but there was a small smudge of blood that had been wiped from Jak's upper lip. Another nosebleed... They had continued to happen ever since they had retrieved him from Erol's clutches. The thought sent a wave of rage and nausea through the wastelanders body, and he clenched his fist. He considered mentioning the blood, but could see that Jak was in no state to handle questions.

Jak winced again as Daxter removed another needle, "I... I need to get that Light Eco..." His voice was near emotionless, "I can feel the Dark Eco taking over. I can't fight it much longer. I don't know what's gonna happen when I absorb it... if there's really corrupted Light Eco in me already... but I have to try."

"Then I guess we better get a move on." Sig replied, placing a strong, steady hand on Jak's shoulder. "We'll suit up and I'll get Kleiver to prep us a couple rides."  
***

The bar was on fire. Ashelin could see the smoke from a distance, and knew deep down that it was coming from her destination. Now she stood just outside, searching desperately for a way in or around. She had no idea where Tess actually was, but knew she needed to hurry. If the water didn't get to her, the fire would.

There were several KG units already darting around, prepping a fire suppression system. She ignored them, and slowly aproached the blazing building. Something in the rubble shifted, and harsh backdraft of heat rushed forward. Ashelin had to pull her arms up to guard her face from the rush of ember and smoke. The stench made her want to vomit, but she held it back. She didn't know what to do. The entrance had caved in, and the entirety of the framework was crumbling.

"Ashelin, I know where she is." Vin stated, startling the redhead out of her daze.

Quickly she snapped her head down to the Spider-bot beside her, and she ducked down as if to look him in the eye, "How? Where is she?"

"Her heat signature." Vin replied instantly, " She's far enough away from the fire for me to make out... and the area around her is extremely cold. I downloaded the old construction schem... uh, sorry, not the time." He began shuffling along the concrete, back towards the actual port, "There's an exit hatch that should have been closed off..."

Ashelin followed directly behind, ignoring the senses that were telling her she was headed in the wrong direction. She was trusting Vin to be right.

The spider-bot's thin metal legs clanked loudly as he ran. Quickly he ducked into an ally nearby, and stopped short over an old, worn manhole. The robot tried to get it's legs into the slots and lift up, but was unsuccessful.

"Move!" Ashelin roughly shoved him away, grabbing the edges of the metal herself. She yanked, her injured shoulder sending a shock wave of pain down her spine. Ignoring it, she tried again. It was stuck fast.

"I believe it's latched on the other side." Vin stated, using his camera to examine the lid. He tapped on a spot near the edge with a loud clank, "Here."

The governor nodded and removed her blaster from it's holster. A loud shot echoed off the stone and iron walls around her, and a small wisp of smoke drifted up from the newly created hole in the metal below her.

She gripped the edges one again and pulled up, this time relieved when it broke free. She heaved, tearing it from the concrete and tossing it to the side with a heavy thud. Without skipping a beat she rotated her numbing shoulder, and slid into the dark hole.

There was a splash as Vin dropped instantly down next to her. The filthy water came up to her knee, and completely engulfed the bot at her side.

"Vin!" She grabbed at him tightly and pulled him up. He was heavier than she expected, but she managed despite his somewhat squirming form.

Vin was relieved that Keira had insisted on modifying the bots to be completely water-proof. At first he had shrugged her off, telling her he never intended to go swimming, but the young mechanic had been stubborn. Now he thanked her for it silently, "There shouldn't be water here." he explained, "This main has been sealed off for years."

Ashelin activated the flashlight on her com-link, and attached it to her hip. It hadn't been charged in a while, and she didn't want to drain the battery by having it constantly levitate as they moved on. Vin also had a small light near his holo-projector, and he activated it, engulfing them in a gentle blue. Their bodies cast menacing shadows against the cold curved walls around them. If Vin still had a living body he would have fled, but now he felt no need. It still creeped him out, of course, but he knew he was safe in the grid.

They could hear the water rushing in from somewhere, and Ashelin could feel the current tug at her feet, but neither could tell exactly where it was coming from. Her legs were slowly numbing to the frigid liquid, and she carefully began to slosh forward.

"Left." Vin instructed at a fork in the pipe. She nodded, and turned to continue on. There was a sudden, steep slope and she slipped, falling backward. Vin fell from her arms as she moved to catch herself out of reflex. The cold, dirty water struck her wound and she hissed, coughing out the liquid that found itself in her mouth. She pushed her form back up, steadying herself on the slick incline.

"Vin?" She looked around for her mechanical companion. There was a gentle tug on her leg, and she slumped forward to raise him back out out of the water.

"It's deep up ahead. At least four feet." Vin explained, "but Tess is definitely over there."

Ashelin nodded and pulled at the com-link on her belt. Fortunately the light had stayed active, but she had no doubt the speaker was ruined. She cursed, and shoved the device in her jacket at her collar, hoping it would stay steady.

Together they mad their way along the path, and Ashelin held Vin's motionless bot just high enough to keep his camera above water. She was freezing now, and had begun to shiver slightly.

They came to a collapsed wall, and the governor could feel the current around her rushing through the rubble into the area beyond. She pushed against the stone, but it didn't even begin to budge. Cursing, she tried bash it with her good shoulder, but that was also unsuccessful.

"She's just past here." Vin said quietly.

"Tess?" Ashelin yelled, "Tess can you hear me?"

There was no reply, and the governor began to panic, once again striking at the cave in. There had to be a way though.

"Put me down..." Vin instructed, "I think I can see a hole. I should be able to fit..."

Ashelin quickly complied, "Be careful."

Vin sank, and Ashelin could see his little blue light slowly drift forward. It jerked a bit, then vanished, and she hoped desperately that he was right about the opening.

Vin forced his way through the rubble, sharp metal feet pulling and pushing his spider-bot ever forward. He wondered briefly if he should self destruct, but decided against it. Yes, there was a chance it would dislodge the rubble and let Ashelin pass, but there was also a chance it would bring more down and kill them all. Well, he wouldn't really die, but he'd feel awful if Ashelin and Tess did.

He finally made it through and searched like mad for a way up and out of the water towards Tess's heat signature. In the darkness he stumbled over a metal beam that angled it's way upward, and he scurried as fast as he could along it's length. Once out of the murky depths he could get a better view of what was ahead of him.

He focused his light forward, wishing it was a little brighter. Dark blue shadows threatened to distract him, but he focused, finally he spied what he was looking for.

Tess was grasping desperately against a pile of rubble, weakly hanging on to keep her head above the slowly rising flood. She looked dazed, her eyes barely open and her soaked fur matted to her skin. There was a small gash above her brow, but Vin could tell it was inconsequential.

He carefully scurried over, using whatever footholds he could to avoid sinking back into the cloudy water below them. She didn't seem to notice him until he was incredibly close, then her eyes shifted wider as she spied his glowing blue light, "V...Vii... Vinnie?" Her voice was obviously terrified, but it still held that bubbly, high pitched tone that could make anyone smile.

"Oh... Hey... Hey Tess." Vin replied, shifting his camera up and down to observe her vitals. Her temperature was dropping at an alarmingly quick rate, and her heartbeat was slow and sluggish. She squirmed slightly, and he saw her left leg and tail didn't move. She didn't appear to have any broken bones or any other open wounds, which relieved the Eco construct.

"I'm... pinned..." Tess explained through violent shivers and chattering teeth. Her cold breath fogged up his camera, "A wire... I can't... get out..."

Vin almost looked like he nodded as he ducked back beneath the water. He gently tugged at her leg, then found what was entrapping her. A long, metal cable had wrapped itself at the base of her tail and around her ankle. He fumbled awkwardly to try and yank it free without hurting the ottsel, but his pointed feet slipped against the slick surface. He steadied himself, and tucked the tip of one foot in between the cable and her tail. He saw her jerk in pain at the motion, but continued on. The cable wasn't too thick, and he knew he'd be able to break it if he could just get good leverage.

'Sorry Tess' Vin thought silently to himself as he pulled sharply. She cried out as he scrapped the side of her leg roughly, it being the only way he could get the grip he needed. The cable finally snapped, and she was free.

Her leg kicked and he pulled himself back up onto the rubble near her, "Ok, Ok, um. I have you. Let's go. Let's get out of here."

She nodded and weakly pried her palms from her support to the Spider-bot in front of her. He began to move slightly, then gave out a warning, "Hold your breath. Hang on tight."

Tess nodded as her fingers fumbled to find whatever grip she could on his slick mechanical body, and she took as deep a breath as her tired lungs would allow. He drifted off his little ledge, letting his heavy metal body sink them to the floor.

Ashelin was nearly pacing when she finally spied the soft blue glow from Vin's spider-bot. Quickly she took a deep breath and ducked down under the surface to reach for him. She couldn't see much, but her fingers instantly found fur and she quickly tucked her palm up and under the ottsel's armpit, pulling her out of the water.

Tess gasped for air and Ashelin sighed in relief, "I got ya, here," She lifted the two foot figure to her uninjured shoulder, and Tess weakly climbed up. Ashelin ignored the uncomfortable pulls as her friend tried to steady herself using the redheads dreads and ear.

The governor felt a tug at her boot, and realized Vin was moving ahead of her to get to the elevated part of the water main. She followed the submerged blue light, and carefully made her way back up the slopped hill ahead of her. Relieved at the shallowing water, she was finally to a point where she could pick him back up without dunking herself and the shivering ottsel on her shoulder.

"She needs to get dry." Vin said as soon as he was in Ashelin's arms, "Her temperature is dangerously low."

Ashelin nodded, giving a small shudder herself, and took off running as fast as she could manage without slipping. Tess slumped slightly, leaning hard against her head, but diligently held on tight. Finally She came to the manhole, and shoved Vin through. He gripped at the edge, and pulled himself up, then backed away to let Ashelin follow.

Ashelin quickly shot up the ladder and heaved herself over the lip of the hole, grunting as her shoulder threatened to give out. She worked through the pain, and quickly stood, reaching to grab the furry she ottsel that was heavily drapped against the side of her face. Carefully she pulled her down and curled her in her arms. She dashed, Vin following loyally at her feet, back out of the ally and towards the fire suppression crew who were still working to quell the flames that licked themselves around the outside of the bar.

"Blanket. Now!" Ashelin demanded to one of the soldiers, who hesitated only a brief moment before following the order. He jumped into the back of an emergency vehicle, quickly pulling open the metal lid of a supply crate.

"Dax...ter... isn't gonna... be happy..." Tess frowned, turning her head to the bar, "Glad... we have... insurance..."

"Shhh." Ashelin slowly set the ottsel down, removing her own stiff, wet jacket. It was restricting her movement and had begun to stick uncomfortably to her skin. The com-link clanked loudly to the ground beside her but she ignored it, tossing her coat to the side. Her dirty white, tank top was stained with blood, but she didn't care. All that mattered right now was helping her near unconscious friend.

"Ma'am!" The soldier had returned, clumsily shoving a blanket towards her. Ashelin nodded, and pulled it down around Tess's frail form, then she slowly pulled her back into her arms. The soldier noticed the bloody wound, and gasped, "You're hurt, lady Ashelin!"

"Later." She replied, carefully carrying the bundle toward one of the relief vehicles, "She needs medical attention. Now."

The soldier nodded, and followed quickly on the governor's heels.

Tess groaned, letting out a deep shudder, "I'm fine... Don't... call Daxter... I don't want him to worry..."  
***

They had taken two sand vehicles. Sig, Seem and Torn were in one, and Damas, Jak and Daxter were in the other. Damas had attempted to take the Slam Dozer, his personal favorite, but Jak had damn near thrown a tantrum, refusing to even touch the buggy. Daxter had given the wastelander a tight, grim wince, shaking his head vigorously from a spot that Jak couldn't see while the warrior brooded. Damas returned the look with a questioning one of his own. Using an exaggerated form of silent hand motions, Damas finally go the hint that it was the vehicle that had killed his counter-part. He relented, choosing another buggy instead.

The monk had insisted to be brought along, and eventually she won out against Jak's protests. She intended to observe him closely as he absorbed the Light Eco, eager to make sure he didn't have another violent episode. It was also a chance to explore a previously undiscovered Precursor ruin. Knowledge was one of the monks most valuable assets, so she took advantage at any chance to gain more.

They had all noticed the faint lines in the sky that hadn't vanished after the last quake. Damas explained that the same thing had happened in his world, and that it meant they were quickly running out of time. Still, there was nothing they could do about it at the moment, so they immediately headed toward the temple.

Jak was sleeping in his seat, and Damas cast him a curious look. He had scrambled desperately to find a replacement set of goggles, his old ones having been lost with the rest of his clothes in the Terraformer, but was unsuccessful in the endeavor. The monks had promised to have a new set prepared by the time they returned. He did, however, find another scarf, which he wrapped loosely around his neck. It was pulled up over his nose at the moment to cover his lower face from the shifting sands.

He had switched to a thinner fabric tunic, still dark blue, and loose brown pants. Damas couldn't help but be pleased when he had chosen to wear his Precursor armor, and it's strong coppery sheen reflected the harsh sun in every direction. He'd pulled on two separate layers of gloves, as well as a new set of belts and straps to hold the new, heavily modified morph gun Tess had gifted him before they left. The old king noticed that Jak chose to cover as much skin as possible, even in the harsh desert environment. It sent a quick mix of regret and rage through the wastelanders eyes, knowing that his son had been scarred to the point of shame.

Still, he looked like a warrior through and through, and Damas couldn't help feel a sense of pride. His son had grown strong and able, despite all of the hardships the Precursors had chosen to put him through. He could ask for no better. Though, It was still odd to look at him. At first Damas had refused to accept it, even though he _knew_ it was true. He had long sensed it, almost wished it... Even before his world had begun to crash, before his mind was told the truth, his heart had known. Jak was Mar. But Jak was so much older than Mar should have been, so different, and that made it difficult. As his world diminished, as his last few friends died around him, he thought long and hard about how he truly felt about the revelation. After so many different clashing emotions, so many sleepless nights... He decided he didn't care. His son, Mar, had died in his arms, and he wanted nothing more than to have him back. It didn't matter if he was older and changed. He just wanted him back.

And now he was... In a way. It didn't really matter if he went by Mar, or Jak. It didn't matter if he acknowledged their relation, or even remembered him. It only mattered that he was alive, and Damas intended to do everything in his power to keep it that way.

Eventually they came around a cliff face near the temple, and the ocean spread out before them. The waves were relatively calm, crashing only slightly against the rocky crags, and the blue sky reflected brilliantly across it's surface. A strong breeze struck, and Jak shifted slightly, opening his eyes.

"Hey sleeping beauty." Daxter cocked a grin, climbing to his friend's shoulder, "Did you like your little nap?"

Jak only gave a small snort in response, rolling his eyes. He turned his head to glance back out over the cool blue waves, and he took a long, deep breath. The gentle scent of the saltwater seemed to give him a sense of longing, the emotion shining brightly in his eyes. Slowly he ran a hand through his hair, never removing his gaze from the ever expanding body of water.

"Ya know... I hate the desert." Daxter whined, shaking out his fur. He stretched, resting an elbow on Jak's head, "It's way too hot, and the sand gets everywhere... if ya know what I mean."

Jak smirked, but continued to stare out over the horizon. He was clearly deep in thought, and it was the calmest Damas had actually ever seen him.

Daxter seemed to know exactly what Jak was contemplating, and he quietly continued, "...but the ocean reminds me of home."

Jak didn't indicate that he had heard the ottsel save for small, almost nonexistent nod. It made Damas want to know more of this village... Sandover the ottsel had called it. Jak's eyes suddenly betrayed his sadness, and he tore them away from his daydream, "How much further?"

"Just a few minutes." Damas replied, "The temple is built into the side of this cliff, and is partially submerged below the waves. There are several air pockets inside, and many of the mechanisms still apparently functioned in my world."

"And you're sure there's Light Eco?" Jak inquired, desperate eyes focusing on the older warrior next to him.

"I am only going off what my monk's found in my world." Damas replied, "I can promise nothing, but considering our worlds seem to be fairly paralleled..."

Jak nodded, turning back to browse the cliffs ahead. Finally the temple appeared, and the youth gripped the buggy's roll cage, hefting himself up to a standing position to get a better view.  
***

About an hour later they had traveled a considerable ways into the temple, and Jak had yet to sense any presence of the supposed Light-Eco. It set him on edge, and he had unintentionally snapped at is comrades more than once, forcing himself to apologize once he calmed himself. Daxter yapped constantly on his shoulder, attempting to distract his friend from his thoughts. They hadn't run into any Metal-heads, which made them all silently thankful.

They eventually came to a huge, domed chamber that housed several complicated ramps and walkways that stretched upward over a large, half circle shaped pool. There were numerous hovering platforms, and even a few sparking Blue Eco lines. Jak was always mildly impressed when he found a temple that still had functioning technology, a testament to how effective the construction of the past was. He looked up, the sheer size of the space above him daunting. A few hovering platforms whizzed with gentle hums overhead, and the spiraling walkways stretched in every direction. Several Precursor computers whirred around them, but they appeared to be damaged beyond their use. Being in the temple brought him a small sense of familiarity from times long past, and his body subconsciously relaxed.

Torn couldn't help but stand in a slight awe. He had never done any real exploring in his lifetime, and even though he knew such places existed, he always felt the stories were overblown. It was humbling, even when he considered Haven's own technological advances. The temples were crumbling works of art. He looked to his companions, and saw the same looks of interest on both Sig and Damas's faces.

Jak and Daxter almost looked bored. It was obvious they'd seen similar temples many times before, and they were both darting their eyes back and forth to assess which direction they should head next. In a way, it almost made Torn wonder what their lives before Haven were like. He let none of this show on his stoic face, of course, because he'd be damned if anyone thought he was going soft.

Sig had been in a few Precursor temples, however most were like the one he and Jak had explored a few days earlier. None of the ones he'd ever visited before were quite as large as this one, and he'd never seen one with working technology. He was no scholar, but he could see why Seem was so interested in coming. She was slowly striding from place to place, quietly studying the ornate, metal architecture and ancient Precursor runes.

That's when Jak seemed to stumble suddenly, and gasped. They all snapped out of their stupors and moved forward to his side.

Jak closed his eyes and held his breath, bringing a hand to his chest. A sudden familiar tug tickled his senses, and he concentrated. Light Eco. He could just barely sense it around him, coming from somewhere below his feet. His ears twitched and he slowly lifted his eyelids, a trance like stare focusing on the water, "It's down there..."

"Under the water?" Daxter asked, looking over the edge of the pool, "You sure?"

"Yeah." Jak almost had to force his eyes away, and he focused on his companions, "We need to find a way to drain the water."

"You think that'll even be possible?" Torn asked, doubtfully.

Jak just nodded confidently, "Look..." He pointed, and they all shifted their eyes in the direction he indicated, "There are windows down there... and other rooms. It's really similar to the underwater Precursor city back in..."

"Ugh, man, Jak, that place was such a drag!" Daxter interrupted, "I couldn't wait to get out of there once we found the power cores."

Jak ignored his friend, "There's probably a switch, or a pressure plate."

They spread out, each taking a different area of the room. Jak dashed up one ramp, Daxter up another. Damas followed Daxter, noticing his path forked near the top.

Sig circled the pool on a path that seemed to lead to a large, rotating machine. He had no idea what it did, but it certainly looked important.

Seem and Torn both started studying and prodding at the Percursor computers near the entrance.

After a short while Jak came across an active Blue Eco source, and he involuntarily shuddered. He hesitated as he continued to explore, and gave the Eco a wide berth. At one time he would have welcomed the power, would have loved to absorb it and zip around at top speed... now his body rejected it and it just caused pain.

A few seconds later Daxter's voice rang out, "Bingo baby!"

Jak and the others all looked around to find the ottsel, eventually spotting him about fifteen feet below him on a small circular path. He was waving up at Jak, "We might have a slight problem, bud."

Jak frowned, instantly recognizing what the issue was. Just under Daxter's paws sat a Blue Eco plate, which could only be activated by channeling the substance while stepping on it.

"Dammit!" Jak knelt, smacking a fist into the platform below him. He glared at the Eco source, than back to the plate, anger slowly welling inside.

Damas had backtracked on his path, and found himself standing just next to the furry ottsel. He glanced curiously down, unfamiliar with the technology at his feet, "What is the issue?"

"See, big guy," Daxter explained, stomping a small foot on the switch, "It won't work unless you're full of the blue stuff..."

"There's Blue Eco up here." Jak pointed out, his fingers clenching the edge of the platform tightly. He sighed, shaking his head, "I used to be able to but..."

Damas quietly looked around, seeing a branching path on his own ramp that lead to where Jak was. Quickly he turned around to take it, climbing gradually towards his son and the Eco source. He stopped just beside the kneeling youth, and shook his head, "So you must channel the Eco, then stand on the switch?"

Jak nodded, not bothering to look up at the wastelander beside him, "Yeah."

"I still fail to see the issue." Damas's lips played at a cocky smile. It was actually quite similar to the one Jak sometimes bore.

Jak turned a baffled eye to the old king, and tilted his head, slightly confused. It took him several seconds to realize what Damas was hinting at, "You can channel it."

"I will admit, I have only had one experience with Blue Eco, and it was when I was a bit younger than you. My teacher at the time introduced me to a very small amount. He did not know much about channeling, but did his best. It was... an odd sensation. I was sitting, but I had never felt the want to fidget so desperately in my life. My head ached quite considerably afterward." He pulled his fingers to his chin, "But I know I am _able." _Damas extended his other hand to help the young warrior rise.

Jak nodded understandingly, and an almost playful smirk found it's way to his face. Blue Eco was a rush. It used to be his favorite type of Eco to channel, once he had gotten the hang of it anyway. If properly committed, it would give the user an intense burst of speed in every sense of the word. It would increase the channeler's heart-rate, agility, and thought processes. It could be dangerous if not done carefully, as a person's living tissue could only handle the surge for a short amount of time. Jak remembered the resulting migraine that would come from poor or excess channeling. Blue Eco had been converted to a power source in the current day and age, which made sense: it was pure energy.

Jak accepted the help, and was pulled to his feet, "So you've never channeled it while actually moving?"

"Correct."

"Oh... well.. Ok then." Jak took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. His smirk faded quickly as he realized he would have to try and teach Damas on the fly. He was suddenly glad he had paid so much attention when learning to channel Eco himself as a kid. It had fascinated him, and he held on to that knowledge even now. Jak never thought of himself as a teacher though, and wondered how he would explain what to do. He tried to recall exactly how Samos had taught him. The Green Eco Sage had been able to convey exactly what Jak needed to know, even if he himself couldn't channel the other types of Eco.

Jak took a glance back to the switch, then slowly shifted his eyes over to the Eco source. He led Damas toward it, hesitating as he neared. He stopped when he could feel the static, the hair on the back of his neck practically standing on end, "I can't get any closer... my body'll try to..." He paused, "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Ok. Well..."

Damas waited patiently for instruction, seeing that Jak was gathering his thoughts. The rest of the group watched with curious eyes, Sig having moved to join the other two at the edge of the pool. Even Seem was silent, having no expertise in this particular type of Eco. All of them were listening intently. None of them had ever seen anyone attempt to channel Blue Eco before.

"Exactly how much did you channel before?" Jak asked, knowing that what Damas was about to try could turn out to be extremely hazardous.

"Not even a full vial." Damas replied, "I have never met another Eco channeler who could use it, and I have never come across a reliable, free source for it. It is only really used in the Eco grid, or as Ammo. My instructor at the time simply wanted to demonstrate our bloodline's unique abilities."

Jak balked, and scratched the back of his head. That was no where near enough to actually know what it felt like, "Ah man..."

"Haha, you're gonna be in for a shock." Daxter called excitedly, "The first time Jak channeled it he messed up and ran face first into one of old Log Head's big bookshelves. Practically demolished it. The books were _all_ ruined, and Samos was soooo... oh man, it was the best. Seeing his face... haha, yeah. Totally worth it."

Jak glared down at him and groaned, "I broke my arm,_ and_ my nose."

Torn snorted loudly at the revelation, a shit eating grin spreading across his face as he chuckled. Jak shot him a nasty look, and mocked his laugh, "'Hehe' yourself. Shut it, Torn."

"Yeah, but it was really cool at first. You were all zipping back and forth, and then you tripped..." Daxter grinned wide, and began to laugh, "All that blue electricity made your hair all crazy too. It took all day to comb it out. Then you puked all over Keira... ah, good ol' days."

"Ugh..." Jak rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, "Not helping Dax." He turned back to Damas, deciding to dive head first into his explanation, "If you haven't guessed, it's gonna be hard to control. You're gonna move way faster than you expect. You aren't going to absorb it like I do with my Eco, so you'll have to concentrate on pushing it _around_ your body continuously. Everything is gonna sound like it's rushing at you, and your gonna wanna try and jump out of the way... but it's not... _you're_ the one that's rushing. Don't let it catch you off guard, and you can't hesitate. It helped me when I focused on my heart beat, which you _are_ going to hear."

Damas nodded seriously, incredibly intrigued by the information. He was impressed with Jak's knowledge, but slightly wondered if he was over reacting. Damas had channeled Green Eco numerous times, and he suspected it must be at least somewhat similar.

Almost as if he were a mind reader, Jak continued, "It's not the same as using Green Eco. Green Eco is calm, and slow. It flows like water. Samos acts all high and mighty, and well, I'm not knocking him... he is a Sage and all... but compared to the other types Green is _easy._" He made a slow, gently flowing motion with hand that actually surprised all those who observed. They had never seen him move in the well practiced, calculated way he currently was. Jak exhaled, calmly closing his eyes, "Green Eco feels like a nice breeze." He stopped suddenly, snapping his eyes to stare intently at the wastelander in front of him, "Blue Eco is a hurricane. Or a sandstorm. It jerks back and forth, and just crashes through you. It's a wild ride, and your going to feel _amazing_ while you're moving. But you _have_ to move. Standing still is bad without a lot of practice. The second you stop your body is going to go numb, and you have to focus on letting go_. _I really can't stress that enough: You have to _let it go. _If you don't it's going to force itself out, and it'll hurt. Bad."

Jak sighed, "The first time I actually really channeled it, I lost all sense of hand eye coordination. I couldn't judge distance for shit. So... uh..." He turned his head to observe the ramps that surrounded them, "Don't fall. Please don't fall."

Daxter cast an amused glance to them, and bellowed, "Hey, at least there's water down there... unless you hit the switch first and then fall. I wonder how fast it'll drain?" He momentarily grew silent, a heavy gulp tightening his throat, "Uh, yeah... what Jak said. Don't fall."

Damas nodded, and began to step forward. He was surprised when Jak suddenly latched onto his forearm with one hand. He turned a questioning eye on the young warrior beside him.

Jak almost looked shocked at his own action. His cheeks reddened, and he quickly pulled his palm away, looking past the wastlander to the Blue Eco source ahead of them, "That's going to be a lot more pure than what you channeled before. It's gonna surprise you."

Damas gave a confident smirk, and turned once again to the Eco. He carefully extended one hand, and the glowing, crackling energy instantly danced up to meet his skin.

It hit him like a bullet, and almost knocked him off his feet. His body jerked suddenly, and he found himself on one knee. He still had a hand extended, and was shocked to discover how cold the energy made him feel. The wastelander released a small, undignified cry, and he clenched his eyes shut. His head pounded, the noise was deafening.

"Damas!" Jak yelled, concern dripping from every word, "You need to move. NOW."

When Damas didn't stand Jak tensed, "Shit." He forced himself forward, ignoring his brain's protest to stay as far away from the Eco source as possible. He tugged violently at Damas's shoulders. The Blue Eco surged around him, his body desperately trying to channel something that it couldn't. Pain erupted as the rejection began, and he gritted his teeth, "Damas... agg.. Damas, MOVE."

The wastelander finally shot to his feet, and swayed slightly. Jak tore himself away and out of the Blue Eco's reach. He stumbled on his own heel, and fell backward, tightly wrapping his arms around his pounding chest. He raised his head weakly just as Damas began to run. With a weak groan, Jak scrambled on his hands and knees to the edge of the platform so he could watch.

Damas was gone in an instant, legs carrying him faster than any of them could really believe. The only reason Jak was able to follow his movements was because he knew _exactly_ what to expect. Part of his brain was almost morbidly interested in seeing what it looked like to watch someone else channel Blue Eco. The other part of his brain was panicking as Damas teetered way too close for comfort near the edges of the ramp.

"Too fast!" Jak yelled, coughing hoarsely as his body ached and voice threatened to give out, "Stop! You'll pass it up!"

Damas had barely heard Jak yelling at him, and he tried desperately to make his feet halt their erratic movement. His mind was racing, and he found that he was feeling extremely euphoric. Jak was right, the movement was simply exhilarating, and he didn't really want it to end. Still, he focused on the youth's instructions, and practically begged his legs to stop. They did not immediately comply.

"DAMAS, STOP!" Jak demanded, cracking voice echoing off the walls of the dome.

The wastelander almost went careening off the edge of the platform, but managed to lean back just in time. His body still wanted to move, and the momentum instantly switched directions. He fell backward, tripping over the Eco switch in the process. Thankfully Daxter had given him plenty of space to fall.

He stumbled clumsily to his ass, and the Eco switch glowed brightly beneath him.

"Damas!" Jak was still yelling at him. His voice was being drowned out by the rushing sound in his ears, and the pounding of his heart, "FOCUS. LET GO!"

After several agonizing seconds he finally managed to release the excess Eco, and with a sudden blue pulse of crackling light it was gone. He slumped slightly, and moaned, adrenaline causing his body to shake. He was still sitting on the switch, and now that the extra energy was gone he felt incredibly drained. Every part of his body wanted to stop moving. His stomach churned, and he resisted the nauseating urge to vomit.

Jak leaned his head back and let out his breath, slowly turning to lay on his back. His body still throbbed with pain, and his head felt like it would split at any moment. Regardless, he was relieved that Damas had managed to pull it off. He couldn't help but let out a rough laugh. He had to admit: he was impressed.

He could hear both quick, desperate footsteps pounding on the ramp toward him, and the loud, rushing sound of the draining water below them. He rolled, pulling himself back to his hands and knees, but was still unable to bring himself to stand. Two pairs of boots appeared, one on each side of him.

Torn and Seem had raced to Jak, and the commander put a strong, steady hand around his friend's bicep to help him to his feet. Jak struggled momentarily, and allowed himself to be pulled up. Seem almost looked concerned when he turned to face them, "I'm... I'm ok. Just keep me away from that..." He nodded slowly toward the Eco source.

Sig had made his way to Damas, and found himself staring down at his old friend. He extended a palm, "Damn. That was a thing. How you feeling?"

Damas waved a shaky hand in the air in front of him, suggesting he didn't need help getting up. It was obviously a lie, and everyone knew it. He seemed to search for his voice before finally speaking, "That was... ugh. It was definitely strange."

Finally the old king relented and accepted help, wincing as his joints and muscles all protested. He brushed away the pain, a sudden guilty look flashing through his eyes as his mind began to clear. He quickly jerked his head to look up at Jak, fear and concern overtaking his features. The motion made him dizzy, but he ignored it, "The Blue Eco... Are you alright?"

Jak was still being supported by Torn, and he had a hand pushed against his racing heart. He took deep, steady breaths, but managed a smirk, "Yeah... Yeah I'll be fine... in a minute... you?"

Damas wasn't sure what to say. He felt sick, but still elated. His whole body felt like it wanted to drop, but he couldn't help but smile, "That was certainly... exciting."

Jak just laughed.

* * *

**Authors note: ** Ok then, see you soon guys. Reviews and critiques are always appreciated.


	10. Chapter 9

**Authors note: **Wow, sorry that took so long guys! I got distracted by some issues with work. Then I hated how parts of this chapter came out, so I had to re-write them.

If anyone is interested in actually seeing the Metal Head I created in this chapter, take a glance at my tumblr (check my profile). He's a few posts down. I had a lot of fun designing and drawing him.

LightJakRises: I have some major issues with Samos as he is in the games. I've been playing through them again recently, and I have come to realize he really isn't a very nice person. Especially in the first game. He insults and scolds the characters constantly, and when you combine that with the fact that he knew exactly what was going to happen, it makes it really hard for me to forgive him as a character. Even in the few instances that he's nice, or he congratulates the characters, its almost immediately followed by an insult or order. Keira is the only one he never lashes out against.

I actually find it really interesting that younger Samos was considerably nicer toward Jak, until the moment he got sent back in time. He even said he wasn't happy about it, and he clearly felt like he was getting cheated in a way. It makes me feel like the Sage became a bit bitter about the situation, and so obsessed with his task that over time he just plain forgot how to be empathetic towards the other characters. It's something that I feel should be addressed... and will be before the end of the story.

Onin I've always seen as the relatively neutral character... She's not really cold, but incredibly direct. Then you have to remember that Pecker is translating for her so...

That's just my opinion on them anyway.

AuraofDawn: Thanks, I'll try to be more thorough with my proof reading. I think my biggest problem is that I only get time to work on this really late at night, so I tend to skim a little lazily by the time I'm ready to post it. Then I go back and re-read on my lunch breaks or after I get home several times and find tons of little errors and weird sentences that bug the heck out of me. So I go back and edit :) Most of the chapters have been edited here and there over and over again, haha.

Anywhoots. I can't really say too much about the rest of the questions or concerns you guys have without spoiling parts of the story, so thanks everyone for reviewing! It means a lot.

CHAPTER NINE

* * *

"Uh...what was that!?" Daxter tugged roughly on Jak's ear, "Jak, look I think it's a Lurker Shark!"

Jak wasn't paying attention to his partner. His head was cloudy, thoughts scattered. His whole body was sluggish, partially because of his Blue Eco encounter earlier, and partially because he was so focused on the tug coming from the Light Eco somewhere below them. It was almost as bad as when his body ached for Dark Eco, but instead trying to avoid it, he welcomed it. His friends had noticed that he'd grown quiet, allowing Daxter to talk for him.

"Oh man! What was that!? And that?" Daxter continued, eyes darting back and forth as various forms of sea life darted back and forth across the windows.

The group was heading down their newly discovered path, and had been for roughly half an hour. The dark, downward spiral of ramp took them further and further into the depths of the ocean, and the walls around them creaked with pressure. No one was sure if they were safe, but there wasn't a soul in the group who would back down now. Curiosity for the unknown was playing on all their minds.

Every so often another flickering light on the ramp would brighten as they passed, illuminating their way. The small, blue lights weren't enough to keep the darkness at bay however, and as they continued further and further the air grew dimmer and more stale. They had to be extremely careful, everything was still slick from the water that had previously filled the cavern they were descending into. There was next to no sound, except for the constant clanking of their boots, and Daxter's never ending chattering.

There was a sudden unexpected thud against one of the windows, which broke them all from their dazes. Six heads jerked up in unison just in time to see a monstrously long shadow strike past and out into the murky waters beyond.

Jak felt himself shudder slightly... he thought he had sensed a large collection of Dark Eco. The sensation had quickly disappeared, leaving just a small tap of lingering dread. He shook it off quickly, turning to face his friends.

"What the hell was that?" Torn demanded, eyes glued on the old, weathered panes. No one answered.

They instinctively picked up their pace to a light jog, eyes continuously darting from window to window, but all that could be seen now were a variety of colorful and strangely shaped fish. It was still eerily quiet, and the temperature was dropping steadily. Time seemed to stretch on forever.

Finally they found themselves at the bottom, and Sig stole a quick glance back up. He couldn't even see the top of the dome, and he let out a low whistle. "Damn, how big is this place?"

"The one near Sandover was a whole city." Daxter whined, arm propped up against Jak's head. "It took us foorreeevvverrr to get what we needed."

"A city?!" Sig turned to face them, his tone full of doubt, "A whole city? Under water?"

Jak nodded slightly, as Daxter continued, "That's right! The Blue Eco Sage was researchin' it or something before he got kidnapped and needed the great Orange-Lightning to step up and save his ass..." Jak just rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow, "Ok, Ok... Jak helped."

The Light Eco was much closer now, and Jak glanced back and forth desperately for any hint of it's exact location. The half circle shaped room they were in was dimly lit, and part of the floor near the far end had crumbled away to reveal a deep, pitch black abyss. On the flat wall, opposite the windows was a set of large, mechanical doors.

There wasn't as much open space, several tall decorative pillars stood in a circular pattern, and the room was a bit narrower than it had been at the top. On the side furthest from the pit stood an old, worn statue that was cloaked in shadow. It instantly peaked Jak's interest. He slowly moved forward to observe it more closely.

"Hey is that an Oracle?" Daxter whistled, "Been a while since we found one of them ugly things. Too bad the Precursors aren't still around, maybe we could have a bit of a chat. Catch up on old times... ask them how they could have possibly thought leaving a bunch of half assed, half working planet saving machines around without telling anyone how to find them was a good idea."

Seem shot Daxter a dirty look, and Damas gave out a sharp snort of agreement, turning his head to focus on Jak and Daxter. The ottsel had continued to grumble, and Jak had a constantly growing look of discontent on his face. He stood motionless, his brow pulled tight. He had abandoned his original interest in the Oracle, and was gradually sweeping his eyes across the windows. Damas took a look, seeing nothing of note in the waters beyond.

It seemed as though the others had noticed as well, and Sig was the one who chose to spoke up, "You ok, Cherry? You look like you seen a ghost."

Jak gave a slight jump, startled by the wastelanders voice. He shook his head, "I think something's coming. Something with a lot of Dark Eco..." He paused, "It's hard to tell... the Light Eco is somewhere close too, and I can't really focus on either one."

"Something with a lot of Dark Eco? Like a Dark-Maker?" Torn asked, instantly moving a hand to the blaster at his hip. The other warriors in the room were doing the same, trained motions in preparation for trouble. Seem was the only one who didn't reach for the weapon she had been gifted, instead she made to clear her head in an attempt to help Jak. Try as she might, she could not sense whatever he was so focused on. She was somewhat impressed. It appeared that in the past few years his abilities had grown exponentially. When they had first become acquainted he had barely been able to sense Light and Dark Eco that was practically under his nose... He'd always been sensitive to it, of course, but nothing like what she was witnessing within him now. Something was different, beyond the corruption, beyond the anguish. It seemed as though his mind and soul had begun to attune themselves to the Eco in his body to an almost absurd degree.

"Not a Dark-Maker..." Jak was quiet, his bright blue eyes had stopped on one window in particular. It was nestled just behind the Oracle, but revealed nothing beyond it's dirty surface. He took a deep breath, "It's... It kinda feels like a Metal-head... but its got a lot more Dark Eco than..." His eyes widened, and he started to shuffle backwards, "...Kor?"

That's when the shadow in the water returned, rapidly swimming directly at them. It moved like a snake in the sand, but was gaining speed at an alarming rate. A bright, yellow glow erupted from the murky depths as it grew closer, giving away it's nature.

"Looks like you were right on the money, kid. That's one hell of a big Metal-Head." Sig clenched his fingers around his peacemaker, even if he knew it was probably hopeless. If it came crashing through the window they'd all be dead from the flooding water anyway.

The beast took a sudden dive, vanishing once again from sight. Jak had a better catch on it's Dark Eco now, and his eyes clenched shut to better focus. He could almost see it in his mind, the twisted substance in it's blood causing his own to react rebelliously within him. It was moving down, deeper into the ocean... then...

"Oh shit..." Jak raced backward, causing Daxter to almost loose his grip. The ottsel jerked himself back into position and winced as one of his bones let out a small pop. Jak mentally smacked himself, he couldn't believe he had already forgotten that his best friend was still healing. Carefully Jak raised a hand to help steady him, "I got ya."

There was a loud rumble below them as the surface below them began to rumble, and sharp, metal shards suddenly erupted in every direction.

"No way!" Torn backed up, gun rising.

Whatever it was, it was coming through the floor.  
***

"She'll be fine, she just needs rest." Samos had just finished checking on Tess, who was fast asleep under a plethora of warm blankets. She had developed a slight fever, but the Sage insisted that it was nothing to worry about. Slowly he rose to turn his attention on the still wounded woman at his side.

Ashelin stared intently at her friend, head wracked with worry, "What about..."

"The babies?" Samos waved a dismissive hand, "Fine."

The governor gave out a small sigh of relief before realization hit, she quickly jerked her eyes to him, "Babies? As in more than one?"

"Twins." He was trying to get a good look at Ashelin's shoulder now, but the redhead was nearly double his height, "Both fine."

With a heavy sigh Ashelin slumped back into a chair, and placed a hand on her forehead. Now that she knew her friend was going to be alright, her mind was ready to shut down. The KG hadn't found Erol, and Vin was out researching any security footage he could find. It also didn't help that she couldn't get a hold of Torn. When she contacted Spargus all they had said was that he and the others had left earlier that morning.

"Stop moving," Samos instructed as he pulled and pushed Green Eco through the damage in her shoulder. She just slumped even further, letting him do his thing, "The wound is very dirty, hmm... You should have let me tend to it sooner."

Ashelin shrugged, "It's not that bad. I'll live."

"Yes. Yes you will." Samos continued, "But it won't be pleasant if it gets infected. I swear, if I weren't here all of you would be dead in a ditch somewhere... but no one ever listens to me!"

Her eyes narrowed. She'd had just about enough of his attitude lately, "Whatever, Samos."

"Honestly, between all of you and Jak..." It almost seemed as though he hadn't noticed the bite in her voice, "... especially Jak. That boy really..."

"That boy..." Ashelin hissed, "Has done nothing but continue to save everyone's asses, including your own, despite it almost killing him." She straightened her back, her glare threatening to bore holes in the old man's skill, "Now he actually needs help, and all you want to do is complain?"

"He is essential to our future! Does no one understand that?" Samos argued, "He's put himself in this situation, and it could very well cost us our world!"

"DADDY!" There was a loud, angry cry from the door. Both the Sage and Ashelin jumped in surprise.

Keira was furious. Her father had always been stern, always overbearing, but enough was enough. She stomped over, straightened her back, and glared fiercely at her father. "Jak is a _person! _Stop talking about him like he's a... a _thing._"

Samos looked shocked, backing away somewhat clumsily from his daughter. If anyone could get the green skinned Sage to blush, it would be her. He tried to keep his composure, "He is reckless, Keira, and quickly becoming a danger to himself and _others..." _his eyes narrowed slightly on Keira's neck.

The mechanic gasped. She had often defended her father's disconnected view, his lack of empathy, chalking it up to his need to protect the future... but this was too much, "I can't believe you'd even say that!" Her fists were clenched, "After everything we've been through, after everything he did... _for you."_

"Jak didn't put himself in this situation." Ashelin added quietly, still conscious of Tess sleeping beside her, "It's not his fault and it never was. The way you talk, it's like you don't actually want anything to do with him at all. All you really think about is how he can save you."

"I don't know what your talking about." Samos huffed, "I raised the boy, didn't I? I taught him everything he knows. Kept him safe."

"Until it was time for him to get captured and tortured." Ashelin smirked darkly, "That was all for the good of the world, right? You knew damn well what my father and Erol were going to do to him... and you just let it happen."

"It _was_ to save the world, if you hadn't noticed. It was essential, and necessary to keep balance in our timeline! If I would have deviated..."

"You don't even act like you care!" Keira whispered, "Jak was always there, always willing to do anything you asked. I remember him doing whatever he could just to make you proud of him..." Her face was flushed with passion, "...and most of the time you just yelled at him and Daxter. He's the one that saved you and the other Sages from Gol, remember? He got you out of that crazy citadel before that monster could..."

"He seems to save you a lot." Ashelin observed almost casually, "You knew everything, but still let him suffer. Even after he went back to the prison he was stuck in for two years to break you out all you did was give him a hard time. I was on the com-link that day... I heard you talking to him." Her eyes became slits, and she chided, "Let's say it was necessary, even if the world would have ended if you said something... you could at least _care._ You owe him that much. We all do."

There was a weak moan, and a ruffling of blankets, "Jakie brought my Daxter back..."

Everyone immediately felt guilty for waking the sleeping ottsel, and both women switched their attention to her, dismissing the old Sage at once.

Samos stood silent for a small stretch of time before shuffling out of the room. In all reality, their words had stung far more than they had realized, and he wanted to go somewhere quiet to meditate on his suddenly extremely conflicted thoughts.  
***

They had tried to escape through the doors they had found, only to discover that they were jammed shut. Not even a blast from Sig's peacemaker had freed them, the Precursor design holding up surprisingly well, so instead they had to turn and fight.

"Jak, watch it!" Jak tumbled dove and rolled to doge a short blast of Dark Eco. Daxter was hiding behind a pillar a good distance from him, calling out warnings to the warriors who were now struggling to stay alive.

The Leviathan metal head was a colossal monster that easily out sized Kor or any of the desert metal-heads they had come across, though it didn't seem to be sentient. It's powerful, eel like body was covered in a thick, gray blue skin with dark, mossy spots. It had multiple arm like extremities that were a mix of fin and spine, the ends sharpening to dirty metal, needle like claws that could easily rend any one of them in two. It had grafted metal along it's vertebrae from head to mid length, and it's underside seemed to erupt with strange, wiggling feelers. Thick, heavy folds ran along the length of it's body in several places, and whenever it began to prepare a Dark Eco blast they would stretch, revealing glowing violet slits that seemed to almost breath.

Its head was oval shaped, it's tell tale Gem embedded deeply in it's skull. Large, curving metal plates sat above four, glowing gold eyes. On each side of it's head sprouted long, spine tipped fins that almost looked like large, rubbery ears. It's mouth was round, sporting teeth the size of a young child, the lower of which seemed to individually attach to separate mandibles, stretching and pulling randomly. The dark cavern beyond the fangs would glow with crackling Dark Eco, and the screech it would unleash nearly paralyzed them with earsplitting pain.

It's thrashing body and arms kept them from continuously firing. What few shots they managed seemed to almost be absorbed in a protective aura of Dark Eco that apparently flowed around it's body.

It was taking everything Jak had to fight back the urge to transform. The pulsing, shifting Eco that drifted off the monster in every direction screamed at him, taunted him. He wanted to let go, give in to the rage that was bubbling just beneath the surface. His fingers itched, claws threatening to rip themselves to the surface, and his head throbbed with an near sickening intensity.

He resisted. He had to resist. He was surrounded by too many friends, and far too much chaos. If he lost all control... no, he didn't want to think about it. He didn't even honestly know if his Dark form would be able to take on the creature in front of him. He was inwardly glad he had transformed back in Spargus... it left him with less Eco to fight for dominance.

The group had spread out behind various pillars to try and flank it from both sides, but its was proving to be fruitless. It's slick, long body allowed it to slither however it wanted, and the only thing keeping them safe was the fact that it seemed to have gotten stuck halfway through the floor.

The metal-head seemed to realize this too, and used its largest, strongest claws to dig in deep, and pull itself further into the ever diminishing space. With a nauseating squick, it heaved forward, freeing more of its wriggling form. It's wet, sleek body suddenly gave way to a rough, thick collection of glowing, pulsing sacks that embedded themselves in it's skin. A dripping, mucus like substance coated each one, releasing a stench that nearly brought them to their knees. Thankfully it seemed the creature had once again gotten caught before it was able to completely pull itself through.

"Are those EGGS?" Daxter yelped, pulling his fingers to cove his eyes, "Oh, man, gross. There goes my appetite!"

The creature screeched, and reared backward to unleash another Eco blast. It seemed to focus on Damas, who was ready and easily able to dodge. He smirked, tensing his legs in preparation.

At the last moment it turned toward Torn instead. Whipping it's head around in the opposite direction it fired. Torn was mid reload when he realized what was happening.

Jak's reflexes were faster, and he was the only one close enough to help. He quickly dashed forward to tackle the soldier out of the way. His shoulder collided with Torn's chest, and the force brought them both out of the way of the initial blast. The youth was still on his feet, slowly turning his head to face the grotesque creature once again.

A few, agitated stray bolts of Dark Eco snapped from the explosion and found their way to Jak. His body eagerly absorbed them, and he let out a hoarse moan as he stumbled backward several feet in shock. He shook his head, trying to clear it as he shoved back the sudden rush of alluring power. He refused loose control.

"Jak look out!" Daxter shrieked, his voice coated in pure panic. Jak tried to focus, tried to pull his head up in time to see what was coming. The others had all issued their own cries of warning now. Finally he managed, just in time to see the creature snap one, piercing claw straight down on top of him. He moved to jump back, but wasn't quite agile enough to avoid the blow completely, and it raked down the right side of his chest, tearing the skin from the muscle instantly. The Precursor armor had done it's job in protecting his shoulder and abdomen, thankfully. The force of the blow knocked him back, and he felt the Morph gun fall from his hands.

"Jak!" Daxter's footsteps raced from somewhere behind him.

"No.. Dax, stay back..." Jak hissed, hand pressed against newly exposed tissue. He cringed as blood began seeping from between his fingers. The wound wasn't all that bad... It certainly wasn't very deep, and he had had much worse, but it had caught him off guard. A combination of physical exhaustion and mental struggle was making his reactions sluggish.

He shook his head, and his eyes suddenly narrowed in on the glowing slits in the creature's body, "Sh..." Quickly, and ignoring the searing pain that erupted from his new wound, he jumped to his feet and turned to run. Daxter was still dashing toward him, now fully exposed. Jak did the only thing he could think of and scooped up the ottsel in a tight bear hug turned roll as he avoided the blast. He felt Daxter jerk, the sudden rough treatment jarring his injuries, but he stayed quiet.

They managed to avoid the blast, but in the tumble Jak lost his grip and Daxter was sent rolling several more feet before coming to a stop against a pillar. He cringed, but slowly rose to his feet and shook his head. His eyes raced toward Jak, who was quickly jumping to his own feet.

The others had opened fire once again to try and distract the beast, which only seemed to work momentarily before it targeted it's eyes once again on the retreating youth. It slithered forward slightly, then with a single, powerful sideways swipe, it knocked Jak of his feet and towards the crumbling pit on the far side of the room.

Damas moved desperately to grab for him, but it was a sloppy attempt. Jak slammed into him much harder than anticipated, knocking the breath from the wastelander's lungs and sending them both tumbling off the edge into the darkness below.  
***

"Oh, Tess..." Keira was on her knees, arm's over the side of the bed in a gentle hug around the ottsel, "Tess, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone at the bar."

"Oh shush." Tess smiled weakly, shaking her head from side to side, "It's not your fault! I'm glad you weren't there when he showed up."

"What happened?" Ashelin was sitting on the foot of the bed, stretching her shoulder. It was stiff, and still needed to be covered. They had chased the Sage out before he could finish, which honestly didn't bother the governor too terribly. Keira noticed and got up to search through the drawers and cabinets for supplies.

"Well, a few minutes after the earthquake there was this big explosion right outside." Tess explained, sliding slowly back into the pile of blankets with a shiver, "I.. I always keep a little somethin under the bar in case there's trouble, so I grabbed my gun... and then the fire starts... and he just barges in. He was yelling for Jak... and I swear he was like, crazy. I mean, crazier than normal I guess. He started blasting the place up with that weird hand thing of his."

The mechanic returned with a handful of bandages and other various tools. She pulled the chair up and motioned for Ashelin to hold back her dreads. The redhead complied, keeping the majority of her attention on Tess.

"I don't think he saw me, and I got on top of the bar and just let loose. It definitely surprised him, and I think I really messed up that arm of his. Well, he looked pretty messed up to begin with... I think when Vin tried to blow him up he really did some serious damage." She let out a small yawn, "well, he tried to chase me, but I got into the basement before he could see where I went. I heard him screaming for a while, then I heard his footsteps take off. When I went back up the bar was really coming down and I couldn't get out, so I ducked into Krew's old smuggling tunnel... but there was another explosion, and I got pinned..."

"And that's when I called you." Ashelin finished the story for her, giving a thankful nod to Keira as she backed away, task completed.

"Yeah..." The ottsel's eyes were beginning to flutter, obviously growing heavy, and Keira placed a palm to her friend's forehead. It was hard to tell with all the fur, but she was definitely still a bit too warm.

"How do you feel?" Keira asked quietly.

Tess's eyes opened to focus on the mechanic and she gave a playful smile, "Like I wanna kick Erol's ass twice as hard now."

Ashelin snorted and pulled one of the blankets up to further bury the ottsel, "We're going to. We're going to make him wish he would have never dragged himself into our world." She paused, once again noticing that her friend was struggling to stay awake, "...but for now, I think you should get some sleep. Gotta keep that strength up. You're gonna have to deal with Daxter when he comes back."

"Hmm.." Tess was quickly drifting off to sleep now, "Daxter's easy... Jak's gonna be the real problem..."

"What do you mean?" Keira asked, interest perked.

"Daxter is gonna flip out, sure." Tess explained between deep breaths, "He'll be anxious... mad... but I'll be able to calm him down eventually. He's smarter and more level headed than he lets people think he is... He'll get super protective and is gonna blame Erol." She paused, rolling slowly to her side, "What do you think is gonna happen when Jak find's out Erol came to the bar looking for him? Who is he gonna blame?"  
***

His body crashed with a hard thud, and Damas instantly felt several bones in his arm and shoulder shift and crack painfully. His mind clouded, and eyes snapped shut. His memory suddenly betrayed him and he found himself wondering what had happened. He tried to bring his other hand up to grip at his forehead, but it was pinned beneath something that had landed partially on top of him...

'No' his mind told him, 'Not something... _someone_.'

"Mar!" Damas's quickly pulled his arm free and sat up, agonizing pain erupting from the right side of his body. He ignored it and tried to cast his gaze down at the young warrior beside him. It was too dark to make out much, and he fiercely wished his eyes would adjust. He tried to move his damaged arm, instantly realizing that his shoulder had popped it's socket, and he had probably broken a few ribs.

He let out a groan, but shifted his weight so that he could reach out to the motionless form beside him. He found a shoulder, and slowly rolled the youth to his back. His eyes were finally starting to focus, and he could make out the sharp outline of the boy next to him.

Damas momentarily looked upward, realizing they had fallen a fair bit of distance. It was dark, and though he could make out the edge of the gap above them, he could see no definitive features. He heard muffled cries and blasts coming from the still ongoing battle against the monstrous Leviathan, but couldn't make out any distinct words. They bounded and Echoed off the walls, mostly dying before reaching his ears.

Hurriedly he turned his gaze back down to his son, "Mar...?"

No response.

Damas fought back the horrifying thoughts that surfaced and he gently placed two fingers on the youth's neck to find a pulse. After several seconds he found it, and sighed with a brief moment of reprieve. His eyes scanned the boy's features as best they could in the shadows. He noticed a slick reflection on the ground below Jak's head, and his heart leapt into his throat. A slowly expanding pool of blood was spreading from a wound hidden somewhere beneath his now messy mop of hair.

The old king delicately cupped the back of Jak's head in his palm, ignoring the burn from the Dark Eco that swam in his blood. Jak let out a sudden, weary grunt and tried to roll over.

"Lie still! You are injured!" Damas scolded, attempting to steady the shifting body in his hands.

Jak paid no attention to the warning and pulled away, shifting his arms under him as if to stand. He shook suddenly, and cried out in pain. There was a gurgle in his throat and he began to cough and choke. Blood seeped from his mouth.

Damas caught him just as he was about to collapse, and carefully laid him on his side, "Stop struggling. Lie still a moment and try to breath."

Jak moaned, barely registering the direction. Damas feared he would go into shock, "Stay awake, you hear me boy? You _will _stay awake!"

The youth coughed up more blood between desperate, labored breathes, "It's... It's right..."

Damas's dark blue eyes narrowed, "Stop. You should not speak, focus on staying conscious!"

"It's right.. here..." Jak continued, defying Damas's orders, "Can't... Can't you feel it...?"

The wastelander had no idea what Jak was talking about, his thoughts focused solely on the quickly fading youth in front of him. He shook his head, "Just stop trying to talk..."

"It's the Light Eco!" Jak cried out, smacking the ground weakly with one fist. Instead of a muffled thump, a small, quiet clang rang out. The floor was metal. "Right... Right... here..."

Damas's eyes widened, and he jerked his head up to study the area that surrounded them. He realized they weren't in a random pit, but a room. The ceiling had crumbled away, as well as the floor in the area above them. Only a thin layer of rock had separated the rooms at one time, but had probably shifted either over the decades, or with the recent earthquakes. They were simply in a deeper part of the temple... or city... or whatever it was.

"Aaahggg.." Jak once again tried to pull away, but was forced down by the older warrior, "It's here... I... I need..."

Damas shook his head, "I will search. You will remain still. Understand?" He gave the youth no time to object as he pushed himself to his feet, his right arm hanging slightly limp at his side. He cast his eyes desperately back and fourth, cursing once again at the lack of light. Slowly he moved forward, careful not to trip on any debris.

Then he wondered... could he feel it? If they were as close as Jak suggested, would he be able to sense it? He knew he would never have the affinity that his son did, but when Jak had transformed back in the Terraformer had he not felt a strange overwhelming calm? He had definitely felt the initial pulse of power...

Damas closed his eyes and focused. It would do no harm to at least try.

At first there was nothing. Nothing but the muffled fighting coming from the room above, and the pounding of his own heart. It was infuriating, knowing that they were so close to their goal. Knowing his comrades were struggling for their own lives, and his son was laying a few feet away in a pool of his own blood only served to distract him. He tried to push the thoughts away, tried to concentrate...

He was about to give up when he felt a small, shocking pull. It tugged at his chest, made his heart flutter in surprise, but he latched on. Slowly he opened his eyes and let the sensation lead him forward through the darkness. He felt it to his left and turned, finding his path blocked by a small pile of rubble. He cursed, his anger causing his mind to loose the small grasp he had on the energy that guided him.

"No!" Damas tried again to find the sensation, but his anxiousness betrayed him. He cursed, and kicked his boot violently against the floor below him. He was surprised when the floor gave slightly, a weak creaking finding it's way to his ears. He glanced down, and sighed in pure relief.

Underneath the rubble was a sealed Eco vent. It was almost identical to the one in Spargus that had dried up.

Quickly he pushed and pulled against the scattered shards of rock and metal that kept him from his objective. After several agonizing minutes he had cleared it all away, leaving nothing but the duct. He dropped to his knees, hand cascading across the surface of the object... he had no idea how to activate it, and no matter where he poked or prodded it remained sealed tight.

He jumped to his feet and joged quickly back to where he had left Jak. The youth had shifted from his side to lying nearly flat faced against the cold metal floor beneath him. His breathing was wet and ragged. Blood was still seeping from the back of his head, his hair slick and stained. His eyes were closed, and he gave no indication that he noticed the approaching wastelander.

Damas knelt, placing a steady hand on Jak's shoulder. The youth didn't react, and Damas immediately began to fear the worst, "Mar..." He shook gently, then pushed the young warrior back to his side.

Finally Jak gave out a weak gasp, eyes fluttering open, "It's... It's here..."

Damas nodded, "Yes. I found it... but I do not know how to open the seal. Can you move?"

Jak's eyes widened, and Damas was troubled to see they were cloudy and unfocused, "You... found it..."

"Yes. Come on..." He used his one good arm to drag Jak to his feet, then positioned him so that he was supporting him under one shoulder. Gripping tightly to the boy's tunic on his far side, he slowly began to walk. Jak immediately stumbled and almost fell. Damas held strong, and groaned, steadying himself and shifting slightly to better carry the younger warrior. He knew he had to move fast... he could nearly feel Jak slipping away.

Several agonizing minutes later they collapsed just beside the vent. Jak lay motionless for a bit, then let loose a stomach lurching series of hacking coughs that brought far too much blood streaming from his throat. He wheezed and gasped for air.

Damas once again desperately tried to force open the seal, refusing to believe they could have it in their grasp and still fail, "Dammit..."

Jak gave a small moment of recognition at Damas's voice and looked up, glossy eyes focusing on the indentation in the floor. He looked puzzled at first, then he realized exactly what he was looking at. He moved vigorously forward, brushing his fingers against Damas's own hand in the process.

Jak concentrated and placed a flat palm against the engraved metal. At first Damas thought nothing was happening. Then he heard a gentle hum. The vent shifted open and the old king was forced to back away. The bright, rising white particles that began to seep up from the floor radiated with a surprisingly harsh heat. The pure power that washed over him made him waver as he retreated to a safer distance, his heart pounding against his rib cage as if trying to escape. It numbed his mind, and dulled his senses... but there was an odd, entirely out of place sense of peace that filled his thoughts.

Jak let out a mangled cry as he pulled the Eco into himself. The discomfort only seemed to last for a second, and it gave away to a serene calm that instantly caused the youth to relax. It didn't jolt across his skin like Dark Eco, and was more like a series of dancing wisps. It seemed to circle around him in almost crisscrossing patterns before being absorbed. Jak pulled himself forward and slowly rose to his feet. He was now standing directly on top of the vent, body trembling. He inhaled sharply, and tilted his head back, extending his arms. Jak began to draw on a far more immense amount of Eco, and his feet began to hover a few inches off the ground.  
***

"Move!" Torn snapped, shoving the monk out of harms way. The creature had taken to demolishing the pillars that had served as their cover, and nothing they did seemed to harm it in any way. It had freed even more of it's body at this point, and free space was severely limited.

The Leviathan had also noticed when they tried to escape back up the ramp, and with one, powerful blow had ripped it away to an extent that they had no chance of climbing back up. Even if they somehow found a way to defeat the beast, they were trapped. Things were looking grim.

At least the commander didn't have to worry about Sig. The wastelander certainly knew how to handle his own. The monk tried, but was not a warrior, and her silly rubber like robes limited her speed. Still, she did what she could without an ounce of fear, and Torn had to respect that.

Daxter was madly dashing back and forth, desperately calling down into the pit his other two comrades had vanished into, then racing back into the center of the room to spout random insults and threats. If anything he was at least distracting the monster. Torn could tell the ottsel was tiring though, and his quick reflexes wouldn't hold up considering his internal injuries.

The metal-head suddenly reared back, the mandibles on it's lower jaw stretching in separate directions and opening wide. Daxter was still in the center of the room, and quickly turned about face to escape. A little too quickly. His ankle gave way and he slammed in a sloppy mess face first against the ground.

Torn and Sig both threw out a string of curses and made to rush out the the ottsel, though neither was anywhere near close enough to make a difference.

Seem was, and she quickly dashed to the center of the room and pulled Daxter into her arms. She turned her back to the creature and curled into a defensive ball to shield the furry ottsel from the inevitable blast.

"Seem?" Daxter looked shocked, struggling in her grip, "What are you doing?!"

"I will not allow harm to come to a Precursor. Especially if that Precursor is you," She paused, and gave a small, never before seen smile, "Little Orange-Lightning."

Dark Eco flashed through the slits in the creatures skin and it drew a deep breath, preparing to fire. A loud, hot hiss erupted from it's mouth as it lunged forward.

There was a sudden flash of blinding white light, followed by an earsplitting explosion. A shock-wave of pure energy caused both Torn and Sig to stumble back and off their feet, eyes forced shut.

A thick fog, saturated with Dark Eco filled the room, choking the inhabitants, and the beast let out a startled, angry screech. A few seconds later Sig was able to think, gripping his now tremendously aching head... what had happened? He turned his eye to the place he thought he'd find the charred bodies of his Eco Monk and Daxter.

He gasped. Jak, cloaked in glowing blue/white light, hovered a few inches off the ground just behind Seem. His arms were raised, fingers stretched wide and muscles pulled tight. A huge, flickering barrier of glowing ice blue stretched out before him, defending their side of the room from the devastating Dark Eco that crackled and jolted violently across it's surface.

Torn was just as shocked, and pulled himself to his feet, mouth slightly ajar. He had seen this version of Jak back in the Terraformer, but this was completely different. At the time his Light form had been brought about in a moment of desperation. Jak's body language now was calm and confident, extremely powerful but oddly non-aggressive. Light Eco wisped across his body and dissipated towards the ground as he channeled. The, glowing ethereal tendrils sprouted from his back, each moving slightly independently from the others, light blue energy flowing between them to form his wings.

Seem had turned to look in disbelief, loosening her grip on the ottsel in her arms. Daxter scurried haphazardly to her shoulder, "JAK!"

Light Jak turned his head slightly, impassive pure white eyes focusing first on the monk, then on the ecstatic ottsel. He cocked his head slightly, almost as if he was strangely observing them.

"Looks like you got all powered up!" Daxter continued, dropping from his perch on Seem's shoulder and scurrying to climb up his friend, "I knew you'd come back and kick some ass."

Light Jak gasped slightly and snapped his head back to attention as the monster slammed it's plated forehead against the barrier. His arms shifted and fingers curled slightly, as if he was physically holding the shield in place. He narrowed his gaze and pushed back, a rippling flash of light dancing across the surface from the center and moving towards the edges.

"He doesn't look to happy to see you!" Daxter taunted, sticking out his tongue, "Can't get us now you big freaky... monster... thing!"

Sig was still staring in shock when he heard a small groan from somewhere behind him. He turned and was instantly relieved to see Damas standing just at the edge of the chasm. The older wastlander was using his left palm, which looked slightly burned, to grip the right side of his rib cage. His other arm hung low, barely moving. It only took Sig a few seconds to recognize a dislocated shoulder. He rushed over to his friend, and placed an arm around his back to pull him away from the edge of the pit. Damas gave him an annoyed look, and snorted, suggesting he didn't need to be pampered.

"You look like you were trampled by a heard of leapers." Sig teased, but the seriousness of his tone suggested just how worried he was, "You ok?"

"I will live." Damas replied, attempting to shrug. He winced, turning his eyes back to the struggle in front of him, "This is not the time to be concerned with me. Look. His shield is beginning to falter."

Torn had dashed over to join them, and together they turned to see what Damas was talking about. The edges of Light Jak's shield almost seemed to be crumbling away as the monster fired another blast of eroding Dark Eco against it. Bolts of purple electricity raced and jumped across it's outer surface, and Light Jak shifted, arms shaking slightly. It was suddenly very clear that Light Jak was struggling against the bombardment, regardless of what his composure suggested.

"You guys need to help, ya know." Daxter scolded, "Like always, we're sittin' here doin' all the work, while you all stand there all dumb!"

The warriors nodded and spread out, Damas finding Jak's discarded morph gun, his own blaster having been lost in the fall. It was awkward to hold one handed, but he'd be damned if he let that stop him now.

Light Jak gave each of them quick consideration, then braced as the Leviathan tried to rip through the shield with it's massive front limbs. He held strong, but the barrier flickered and cracked. It would only take a few more blows before he would loose it.

He turned his gaze to the ottsel on his shoulder, and nodded his head slightly. Daxter knew Light Jak couldn't talk, and struggled to read his inexpressive face. Light Jak was an eerie shell, a strange, supernatural being that was just as twisted by Eco as Dark Jak was. He was equally as disconnected.

Still, Daxter knew Jak.. and as disconnected as his other forms could be, he was still his best friend. They were part of him, and he was part of them. Even if no one else could see the subtle hints of familiarity, the ottsel could, and always would. It only took him a few extra seconds to get the gist of what he was being told, "Guys, be ready. Jak's gonna do something!"

No one questioned Daxter, instead they raised their weapons, ready to fight. It was time to get rid of this damned metal-head once and for all. Even Seem had moved a short distance away, weapon ready.

The monster's shrill shriek echoed so loud off the windows they vibrated, and it lunged forward to once again bash it's forehead against the shield. It struck hard, and at the last moment Light Jak purposely let the barrier fall. It seemed to catch the beast off guard, and it dove forward unexpectedly, it's eyes wide as if it was astonished.

Light Jak inhaled deeply, snapping his hands together in a quick, fluent motion. There was a loud clap as his palms collided, followed by a bright flash of light, and in an instant he was gone.

Daxter seemed to appear out of nowhere in the next second, standing half way across the room near Sig. He looked pissed off at being abandoned, eyes bounding instantly in an angry glare toward the Metal head.

Then Light Jak reappeared, gripping tightly to the top and back of the monster's head. His wing tendrils stretched and pulled as he steadied himself, fingers digging deep into the flesh of the still confused Leviathan. Instantly the Light and Dark Eco reacted with one another, the beast let out a heart stopping cry, and began to thrash. There was a distinct smell of burning flesh. Light Jak also looked disheveled, almost pained as he took a sharp, strong breath and began to focus.

Sparks of snapping violet surged across the Leviathan's body, streaking straight toward it's attacker. Light Jak braced himself for the inevitable clash of power, and closed his eyes. He focused on expelling the Light Eco from his body, and with a loud, deafening crack the opposite forces collided in a colorful, explosive mess of energy.

"What are ya waiting for!" Daxter yelled, stomping his foot, "Shoot the damn thing!"

The warriors all realized that the protective wave of Dark Eco that had shielded the monster before was gone, and they opened fire.

The monster bellowed and writhed, twisting violently to try and knock it's unwanted passenger away. It slammed itself against the floor and wall, then hacked out several, unfocused Eco blasts. None of them were aimed, and the warriors easily avoided being hit. Blood seeped from the creatures fresh wounds, and it lashed out angrily with it's claws and fins.

Light Jak suddenly coughed, and the glowing light that surrounded his form began to fade. He shook his head and struggled to keep control, but was obviously failing as he was overwhelmed by the Dark Eco that viciously struck him.

The white glow dissipated, and Light Jak gave way to normal Jak, who let out a loud, piercing cry as his body immediately began to absorb the Dark Eco. He loosened his grip and fell, tumbling down and off the squirming beast, landing flat on his back. Streaks of Dark Eco still rushed at him, and he gasped in pain, rolling to his hands and knees in an attempt to escape. He weakly pushed himself to his feet, fighting against the surging bolts that licked across the floor and up his legs, sluggishly pulling himself away from the monster.

He stumbled, and toppled over. His friends hesitated, turning their attention to him.

"No.. Don't stop..." Jak yelled, gripping at his chest with one hand as he pushed himself haphazardly to his feet in another attempt to dart away, "Kill... it..."

They began to fire once again, and after several, long moments the Leviathan let out one last weak cry, and toppled over in a massive, twisted mound of flesh and steel. Blood slowly seeped from it's wounds, and the life dimmed from it's eyes.

"Jak!" Daxter yelled, streaking across the room toward his friend, "You stupid, sun of a..."

Jak was leaning against one of the glass windows, forehead and arm supporting his body. His ragged breathing was fogging he pane, his eyes snapped shut as he concentrated on the swirling, battling Ecos that were currently raging at one another inside his body. Slowly they were balancing out, but it was exhausting, and far more agonizing than it had ever been in the past. He could feel the strange vein's in his chest burning, and his heart pounded wildly.

He slid down the glass slowly, turning so that his back was against it. His senses were out of control, and he could hear the various clangs and thumps of his friends boots as if they were actually inside his head. The monster smelled horrid, and threatened to make him sick. He knew it would be a while before a Metal-head that large began to dissolve, so he was at least safe from the flood of Dark Eco that would inevitably seep from it's wounds.  
Jak was sitting now, hunched forward and clenching his heart. He could feel the Eco calming, but was extremely unnerved at how uncomfortable it all felt... Still, it was getting better, and the balance was definitely there. He could pick and pull at the Light Eco that had been so long absent from his system, and that was a wonderful feeling. It also helped tremendously that all of his cuts, bruises and broken bones had been healed when he absorbed the massive amount of Light Eco from the vent. All that remained was a dull soreness that was sure to vanish within a day or so.

"Hey!" Daxter had been the first to reach him, and he smacked a palm hard against his best friends leg, "What the hell were you thinking!?" His high pitched voice was jarring to Jak's currently overly sensitive hearing.

Jak winced bringing his palms to his ears, "Uhhgg ..not... not so loud Dax..."

Daxter's disposition quickly shifted from anger to compassion, and he replied much more quietly, "Eh... sorry... forgot about the whole Eco hangover thing."

Jak nodded, and sighed, his eyes fluttering open. He looked up at the concerned faces of his allies, and shook his head, "I'm fine.. Just gotta rest a few minutes..." He winced, his chest still throbbed, and he continued to cradle it with one hand. It wasn't reacting so nice to the sudden influx of Eco, but he wasn't going to let it interfere with his currently rising spirits, "I haven't been able to channel that much light Eco in a while... and then absorbing the Dark Eco... They didn't mix very well. Normally s'not so bad..."

Sig extended a hand and Jak shook his head, knowing that if he stood he'd be sick, "Not yet. Just a few more minutes..."

"When Jak goes overboard too fast like that his hearing and smelling and stuff go nuts..." Daxter explained, ignoring Jak's annoyed huff, "What? Don't look at me like that... it's true."

The youth glared, obviously pissed off that Daxter had just started blabbing like that. Jak didn't like to tell people things about himself that made him come of as even more of a freak.

"I bet you can tell 'em what they had for dinner last night!" Daxter tried to lighten the mood, patting his friend on the knee, "It's a great parlor trick."

Jak moaned, and waved a hand to suggest he'd accept Sig's help after all. The wastelander gripped his wrist, and heaved him up to his feet. The touch made his skin tense, but he ignored the sensation. The youth swayed only slightly, and gained his balance. His mind was starting to clear, and he quickly realized that all of his friends were suffering from various wounds of their own that needed attention. None of them looked good... and he supposed he probably looked pretty awful himself, but at least his body could heal itself.

Damas had it the worst. The old wastelander looked like he was ready to fall over, his left hand tightly wrapped around his shoulder. Blood was dripping from a variety of cuts, and he stood unevenly, weight distributed more to his left than right.

Jak suddenly recalled falling into the pit, and dragging Damas with him. His memory was still shaky, but he distinctly remembered waking up in the bottom of the pit, the old king ordering him to stay awake.

Damas noticed the sudden increase in attention and snickered. "Don't look at me like that. I've suffered far worse than this."

Jak almost doubted it before he remembered who he was speaking to, then he smirked, but his eyes suggesting a strange sadness, "No doubt..." He moved forward, "Hold still."

Damas did as he was told, though he resisted the urge to tell the boy to watch how he spoke to his elders. Jak hovered a loose palm over the old king's injuries, and paused when he came to the shoulder.

"I uh.. If someone can set that I'll be able to heal it a lot easier..."

The group shared a concerned look, and Sig spoke up, "Shouldn't you, ya know, rest a bit more before using up more of that Eco? Didn't we learn that running on empty's a bad thing?"

Jak shook his head, palm still floating just above Damas's injuries, "I absorbed a _ton_ of Eco down there..." He paused, tilting his head to the side, "I _can _channel it without pushing myself to the limit. I'm channeling it right now..."

Damas gasped, feeling a sudden pulse of energy in his side, he pulled away with a glare. Jak smirked, eyes narrowing. "I could channel the light Eco like this... but it would take _forever. _It's going to be a lot quicker if I transform, so I'm going to do that whether you like it or not. Set the bone."

"Uh, I know it doesn't seem like it..." Daxter pipped up, climbing to his friend's shoulder, "All the crap that's been happening lately... and him pulling stupid stunts left and right, " that statement earned an annoyed scoff from the owner of his perch, "Jak's kinda a pro at what he does."

"Very eloquently put." Damas sneered sarcastically, which caused Jak to snort in response, "Fine. Sig?"

Jak backed away as the large wastelander approached. Sig hesitated, passing one last look between the father and son, then sighed, removing one of his gloves. He shoved it into Damas's hand, "Bite."

The old king nodded, shoving the wadded up leather between his teeth. He tensed as Sig placed one palm on his shoulder, the other on his back, "On three..." He suddenly grinned wickedly, "Three."

There was a sickening crack, and Damas grunted loudly through clenched teeth. He smacked the snickering wastelander away, ripping the dirty glove from his mouth, "Do that ever again and I will have you fed to the crocadogs!"

Sig shrugged, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "I don't really think you have that authority anymore."

"Bah!" Damas turned away, testing his shoulder. It was still in an immense amount of pain, but at least it was in it's socket. He moved across the room toward a collapsed pillar and sat, giving his tired legs a rest. The rest of the group followed, everyone was happy to get further away from the festering Metal-head anyway.

"Ok, my turn." Jak mumbled, closing his eyes. He was still uneasy about transforming in front of his friends, the ever present fear of them rejecting him nestled in the back of his mind... but at this point they had all seen it, and he wasn't about to let them remain hurt on his account. He became almost unnaturally still, and took a long, deep breath. There was a sudden snap of energy, and his body jerked into it's transformation. It was shockingly quick compared to when he took his Dark form.

Jak loved the feeling that came with the rush of Light Eco. It made him calm, relaxed. His mind drifted into a serene, but energetic state that just pulsed with life. Like Dark Jak, he wasn't really fully in control of his actions, but he was definitely much more conscious of them, and could influence them as needed. His Light form knew friend from foe, and it desperately wanted to protect the former. All of the powers he had revolved around defense, rather than sheer strength. It was also much easier to recall his endeavors when he returned to his regular self.

He hovered a few inches off the ground for just a couple seconds before his feet touched down, and he opened his shining white eyes. His wings were absent, and the glow from his body wasn't as intense as earlier. Clearly he had drawn on a far smaller amount of power. Glancing from side to side he studied the situation around him as if he was trying to remember what he wanted to do. It only took a moment for him to gain his thoughts, and he stepped toward Damas.

The wastelander resisted the urge to pull away. The energy that drifted off the being in front of him was warm, and gentle... but there was still something wholly unnerving about him. Just like before, during the rescue in the Terraformer, he almost felt terrified. He could feel the raw power of the Light Eco, and it made him feel insignificant and weak. It was not a feeling he liked.

Light Jak blinked, as if he could tell what Damas was thinking. His expression never really changed, the closest thing that resembled an emotion was the strange curiosity that seemed to cross is features occasionally. He hesitated, and stopped moving forward. Studying Damas's face for a moment he suddenly reached up to gently grasp the ottsel on his shoulder.

"Ack! What!?" Daxter hadn't been prepared, and squirmed wildly, "What's the deal, Jak!?"

Everyone watched the peculiar situation with almost childlike interest. Torn would even call it completely bizarre, having never seen anything like it before. He held is breath, unsure of what he could do other than just stand there and stare. Seem, however, appeared to be ignoring the situation entirely, solely focused on Light Jak... she was clearly trying to assess something.

Light Jak carefully placed the ottsel down on the pillar next to Damas. His gaze shifted slowly from Daxter, to the warrior, then back again, stopping to focus intently on his friend. He seemed to be questioning him.

Daxter knew Light Jak was trying to say something and he concentrated on reading his face. It took a few seconds, but he began to catch on. Light Jak tilted his head down once he realized his friend understood.

"What's going on?" Damas asked. He came to the conclusion that the ethereal being his son had become couldn't actually speak, so he directed his question at the ottsel "What's wrong?"

Daxter had a pretty good idea, and scratched the back of his head, "Eh..." He shifted uncomfortably, "I think he wants to know if your scared of him."

"I... of course not." Damas's words came out hollow, and Light Jak shifted his stance. No one could really tell what he was thinking. No one besides the Daxter, anyway.

"Smooth." Daxter sighed, "Ok. That's it. All of you, listen up. Even you glow boy!" One finger shot up to point at the transformed youth, "He's weird, I get it." Light Jak turned his emotionless eyes back to his friend, placing his hands behind his back. If he took offense, it didn't show.

Daxter just shrugged and continued, "...but that's Jak in there. _He's_ Jak. One, oddly pale, sparkly, freaky part of him, anyway. After seeing him loose control and turn into Darkie, this is the part of him you're going to be weird about? This is the part of him that keeps the other one in check. Balance, or some bullcrap like that... and let's not forget, it was the _glorious_ Precursors that forced this on him." His voice dripped with sarcasm, and he turned his attention on the Light Eco being in front of him, "...and you! Of course they're gonna be freaked out! They can't do what you do! It's _weird_ Jak. No one else is like..." He motioned up and down with his hands, "...this. All of this. You're one of a kind, bud... but it doesn't mean they're gonna run away. I mean, Torn can be a dick sometimes," The KG commander growled, teeth clenching towards the ottsel, "but they did come all the way down here and fight a giant, slimy monster just to help you out, remember? Sheesh, I mean, People give me googly looks all the time because they think I'm just some kinda weird, mutated, talking rat."

Everyone stood in silence and stared at Daxter. He glared right back, and threw his arms up in the air, "What!? Seriously! Do I have a booger or something? Just heal them already, Jak, and stop showing off with all that fancy glowing."

Light Jak's gaze drifted back to Damas, and he seemed to contemplate for a moment before stepping forward and extending a hand. Warm, white wisps jumped between them, and the wastelander gasped. It ached, but it was a good kind of ache. He realized it would take a bit of time, and watched intently as Light Jak expertly moved, mending bone, muscle and skin.

* * *

**Authors note: ** Thanks again for reading guys! And again, if you actually want to see the Leviathan Metal-Head, he's posted on my tumblr.


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's notes: ** Hey guys, sorry about the wait. Had to have some wisdom teeth pulled... I though I was a little old for that, but guess not!

A few quick notes: I address Keira in this chapter as Samos's adoptive daughter. It makes the most sense considering that she's around the same age as Jak and Dax, and young Samos didn't have a daughter when he went back in time. This doesn't mean he loves her any less of course, you don't have to be blood to be family. (As a side note, I like to imagine that Dax is a year or two older than Jak and Keira, even though I know according to cannon they are all the same age. Still, I think it's an interesting dynamic that doesn't really affect their relationships too much anyway.)

Also, I really don't care for the final scene in Jak 3. I think the Precursors probably would have been a lot more discrete than holding a huge ceremony, especially considering they had been trying to hide the fact that they were ottsels for so long. So for the sake of this story, it was a much more toned down event. Several of the characters were not present, and most people know about what transpired, but there was no big ceremony. They granted Daxter's "wish" in private, thanked the heroes, offered Jak a chance to leave, then left themselves.

Thanks for the compliments on the Leviathan drawing, I'm glad you guys liked it! I'll probably be posting a few more drawings/sketches from the story in the next day or two as well, so check em out if interested.

Joe: Haha, don't worry, there'll at least be a bit more fluff before the story is over. :) Thanks for consistently reviewing.

Oblique Strategies: Yeah, I haven't been very nice to Jak so far, have I? He gets to have a bit of fun in this chapter though!

M-Angel 05: Thank you! I'm glad you like the fight scenes.

Shaveza: Yeah, I couldn't be that cruel. No harm will come to baby ottsels in this fic, I promise :P

CHAPTER TEN

* * *

"So do your thing, and get us up there. We came, we got your stuff, and now it's time to go." Torn's gruff voice echoed across the chamber.

Jak sighed, rubbing one arm almost lazily, "I can't... it's too high up. There isn't anything around I can get a grip or a boost from."

"What do you mean you can't?" the commander demanded, "You can magically grow wings."

"Eh..." The youth shrugged, casting a wary gaze toward the dead metal-head a short distance away. Time had been ticking while he had healed his friends, and it would no doubt begin to disintegrate soon. Jak wanted to be as far away as possible when that happened. There was no telling how much Dark Eco would seep from the Leviathan's wounds, and he definitely did not want to absorb it. Unfortunately, the beast had apparently taken out their only means for escape. "Kinda? I can't really use them to fly... It's more like gliding?"

Torn rolled his eyes, and shrugged his shoulder toward the pit, "Then how the hell did you get out of there?"

Jak cocked his head slightly, pulling his brow tight. He was trying to remember exactly what had happened earlier, but the events were still pretty hazy in his mind. His brain was still just giving him brief flashes of the battle and surrounding events.

Thankfully, Damas answered for him, "I believe he got a large boost of power from the actual Eco vent. It seemed to propel us quite a distance. There were also several handholds... it was not exactly a comfortable endeavor."

"Sorry..." Jak almost seemed to fluster a bit, and he scratched the back of his head, "I don't really remember..."

"It matters not." Damas replied, holding up a hand to silence him, "We should focus on finding another way out."

Everyone seemed to take that as an instruction to spread out and search. Damas and Sig focused their attention at the large sealed doors in an attempt to pry them open once again. Torn shuffled over to the chasm, and glanced down. He could see a strong, pulsing glow from the Light Eco vent, but otherwise the room below was pitch black.

Daxter strolled casually across the room, taking the opportunity to stretch his muscles and bones as he walked. After Light Jak had taken the time to heal the others he had turned his attention to his best friend, intending to finish what he had started in the Terraformer. Everything felt immensely better, the only remnants of his injuries being a soreness similar to physical exertion. It didn't hurt, his body was just extremely tired. The ottsel assumed that's how everyone was feeling right about now.

Jak was about to follow when he felt a firm grip on his forearm. He turned, his bright blue eyes caught off guard when they met Seem's own blood colored ones. He pulled away, crossing his arms. "What?"

Seem hadn't spoken to him since before the Leviathan's attack, but had scarcely turned her attention away. Even when he was healing her wounds, she had kept the same, studious stare. Her eyes narrowed, and she kept her voice low enough so that only he would hear her, "Remove your shirt."

Jak almost choked, eyes widening. He shook his head, "Uh... yeah, no. That's not going to happen."

"You may _act_ like everything is well, but I would like to take an assessment myself. I feel there is still something amiss."

He let out a low growl in response, tilting his head downward briefly, "I'm fine."

"Wounds like those in your chest do not just vanish." Seem argued, her steady voice still barely above a whisper, "Whatever it was that Erol..."

Jak winced at the name, dark memories flooding to the surface. He subconsciously brought a hand to his chest, and closed his eyes. Rage threatened to shove it's way though, but he pushed it back with the aid of the Light Eco flowing through his body. Still, he was obviously annoyed when he spoke, "Enough. We're done here."

"Your High..."

"HEY JAK!" Daxter's shrill voice cut through the room, catching everyone's immediate attention, "Over here!"

Jak shot one last glare at the Eco monk and turned away to trudge over to the excitedly waving ottsel.

Daxter was standing a few feet away from the Oracle they had found earlier, and Jak was careful to keep as far away from the monster's carcass as possible when he approached. He could hear the rest of the rest of the group shuffling along to join them as well.

"What's up Dax?" Jak held out an open palm as an invitation for the furry ottsel to climb up, and within a few seconds there was a familiar weight on his shoulder.

"Eeesshh... Jak, buddy," Daxter pulled at his friend's hair slightly, and waved a hand in front of his nose, "You need a serious bath. You're all covered in gunk, and..."

Jak rolled his eyes, knowing the ottsel was right. He could feel the chunks of dried blood clumping his hair together, and the grime on his skin was starting to itch. His only consolation was that the majority of the group were in similar duress, including Daxter, "What did you want to tell me Daxter?"

"Oh yeah, look!" Daxter pointed toward the ancient statue, "Does it look like it's kinda... glowy... to you?"

At first Jak didn't see what his friend was talking about. It took several seconds of hard staring to realize his friend was right, and not long after he began to sense a trace amount of mixed Eco coming from the Oracle. He frowned, taking a sharp breath... ever since the Precursors had left, none of the statues had shown any sort of activity. Carefully Jak approached, raising a palm to get a better focus on the energy in front of him, "What the hell?"

That's when a deep, rough voice crackled through the air, "Young warrior."  
***

Samos hovered several feet off the ground, legs crossed and elbows resting on knees. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and deliberate. A faint, green glow surrounded him as he drew power from the Tree of Life.

He was finding it hard to meditate completely, his thoughts drifting to the verbal lashing the girls had given him earlier. At first he had been furious. How dare they speak to him that way? Had he not always done what was right for the world? For their well being?

Then as his thoughts grew deeper he found himself thinking less on them, and more on the boy he had stolen away through time. It wasn't an ideal situation by any means, but it had to be done. Everything depended on his successful raising of the child, and his eventual return to Haven. He hadn't been happy about it at the time, but now? He couldn't honestly say he disliked Sandover village. It was calm, peaceful... the people of that time had held a great respect for him and his mastery of Green Eco. They had welcomed him with open arms, helped him build his hut, and put him in contact with the other Sages. He was free to study the Precursors and their legacy to his heart's content. There were no interruptions when it came to training the boy to be prepared for his fantastic destiny.

If he had never gone back, had never taken the child to safety, he would have never met his eventual daughter. He loved her with all his heart, and she was so incredibly bright and brave. She was about the same age as Jak when he adopted her, orphaned by Lurker attacks. Though, it wasn't until Daxter began to strut himself around that Keira and Jak really bonded as friends. It seemed as though the annoying red head instinctively knew what the mute boy wanted to say, and was more than willing to translate.

It was no secret that Samos disapproved of Daxter. He was always a distraction, always in the way... but he knew that eventually he would also play an important role in the future, so he had no choice to step aside and let the children become close.

Though, he supposed it wasn't really the only reason. Now that he thought about it, before Daxter had come along, Jak had always seemed terribly sad. It wasn't something the Sage really noticed at the time... but looking back? Perhaps it was something he should have been more attentive about. He had spent so much time focused on his task he had hardly given any thought to Jak's emotional state.

'I did the best I could. I raised him like a father!' Samos reasoned with himself... then his head drooped slightly as he realized he wasn't being entirely truthful. The villagers had stepped up and done most of the 'raising.' Sure, he had _trained_ the boy. Taught him, scolded him... but he hadn't really raised him. The self proclaimed explorer that lived not far from his hut had done so much to help, he had insisted he was Jak's uncle. He had been the one to tell Jak bed time stories... he had encouraged the kids to get in trouble, in ways that children _needed_ to get in trouble.

As a child, Jak had been so incredibly talented. He had never met anyone with such a capacity to channel that was truly unique to the boy. Every time the Sage would introduce him to a new type of Eco, he was intently listen, absorb the information like a sponge... then would just act on it. There were many mishaps of course... no one was an expert on their first try... but Jak's natural abilities were noticed and encouraged by everyone. Even when he failed, he did it so spectacularly that it would shock the Sage into a near stupor.

Keira was right... even though Samos would berate him, and push him harder than he probably should have, Jak would just jump to his feet and nod with that dumb crooked smile on his face. Then, when all hell had broken loose with Gol and Maia, the boy rose valiantly to the occasion and stopped at nothing to set things right. He didn't hesitate, even though he was barely a teenager. He had toppled a deranged Dark Eco Sage and his sister, saving the world from a truly terrible fate... and saving Samos and the other Sages from grizzly ends as well. Throughout the whole endeavor, Jak had never lost the childish carefree attitude that made him so endearing.

No. Samos couldn't say he had been like a father to Jak... He realized that now. It really was an insult to even insinuate it. He had turned the boy into an obedient soldier of sorts, and had prepared him to become the warrior they needed... but had failed in so many other aspects. Even he had been shocked the first time he had seen how much Jak had changed in two years. The innocent, playful life that had danced around in his eyes was gone, leaving behind a fearful, broken sadness that only true grief could create. He could sense the writhing Dark Eco that ate away at the youth, destroying him from the inside out. Even though his younger self had experienced the sensation before, even though he knew it was going to happen, the memories were dulled after such a long time away. When Jak stood there, angry, cold and damn near toxic... Samos had been terrified and devastated. The talented little boy he had watched grow up was gone... yet he had continued to tell himself it was 'for the greater good.'

The Sage sighed, opening his eyes. Slowly he lowered and his feet met grass, the glow fading from his form. He turned to look up at the giant tree behind him, asking it for answers. It stayed silent, but he swore he felt a judgmental tug of guilt. He realized that his insistence that he was doing what fate decried necessary had clouded his judgment.

Keira and the others were wrong about one thing... Samos did care. He knew he made some egregious mistakes... even if he had a hard time admitting it himself. Perhaps it was time to set things straight.  
***

Jak stood rigid, unsure if he was actually hearing the Oracle speak, or if he had imagined it. Daxter's wide eyes turned to him, then back, "Uh..."

"Young warrior." The oracle repeated, "The time has come for you..."

"Waaaaiiittt a minute!" Daxter interrupted, slicing the air with his fingers as if to literally cut the Precursor off, "I thought all the Precursors were gone... you know, in that space ship? Two years ago? And why are you talking to us like that? We already know what the hell you are... sooo?"

"Oh." The Oracle seemed to stammer slightly, though it's filtered voice was still deep and harsh. "I wasn't sure how much was known in your world..."

"Our world?" Jak asked, passing a quick glance to Damas.

"Precusor!" Damas frowned, stepping forward, "You are the Precursor from my world, aren't you!?"

"Ah, Damas..."

The old wastlander groaned, covering his eyes with one hand. His face seemed to redden with a rage, "How are you even speaking to us?"

"Well, ah... You see..." The Precrusor/Oracle replied, clearly distraught by Damas's tone, "I am a Precursor, I am not so useless..."

"You told my your powers were _gone!" _Damas growled, "You claimed you were unable to help!"

"Mostly gone. I'm afraid I did not have the power to save our world, Damas." The Precursor explained, regret clearly leaking through the rumble, "The only reason I am even able to contact you now is because you are in a place of immense power. There are ley-lines of sorts... they transcend time and space. They are a residue from the creation of the universes... I think."

"You think?" Daxter's ears perked up, "Typical."

"Listen... I can't keep this connection up for long, it's rather dangerous. What I am doing is similar to what Erol and the Dark-maker's did to cause all of this!"

"What!?" Damas pointed a finger, violently "You _knew!? _You knew what he did?"

"No. Not at the time. I had an idea... but now it's much clearer."

Damas threw his hands up, moving away from the Oracle. His eyes seethed with hatred, and he took deep breaths to calm himself. His world... it was gone. Everyone he knew was gone, and the Precursor had felt the need to play dumb. Sig placed a comforting hand on his old friend's shoulder.

"Damas said there was this machine or something?" Jak mediated, trying to get the conversation back on track. He shifted his weight, and opened a palm as is he was asking for something. It was a habit from his childhood. Sometimes he couldn't help over expressing himself with his hands. Daxter was the only one that really noticed though.

"Yes, though it is incomplete."

"What do you mean, incomplete?" Jak demanded, eyes narrowing, "Are you saying we can't use it?"

"Leave it to a bunch of Precursors..." Daxter quipped sarcastically.

The Oracle almost seemed to hesitate, and the voice beyond took a sharp breath, "Not in the state you are currently in."

Everyone shared questioning looks, and Damas once again stomped forward, "Out with it!"

"The machine needs several people to function completely, but It's missing a key component, and I believe Jak would be the only one able to make it work as it is."

"Meaning?" The old king was continuously growing more impatient.

"It's going to require multiple people to activate... and someone who can channel _all_ the different types of Eco." The Precursor continued, "He is the only one who possesses that gift."

Jak covered his face in his palms, dragging his fingers down to. His shoulders slumped, "I think you're forgetting something..."

"I am?"

"Are you _serious!?" _Daxter huffed, kicking his foot against Jak's shoulder guard. He fell forward on all fours, and bared his teeth, "He hasn't been able to use his _gift_ since all this _crap _you guys dumped on us. All that Dark and Light Eco bull!"

"Ah, yes..."

"This is why I hate talking to Precursors! Some freaking gods they are!" Daxter snorted, his fur still standing on end.

"I might be able to remedy that." The Oracle grumbled quietly.

"What!?" Jak's eyes snapped open, all of his attention focused solely on the large, stone statue in front of him. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing... If he could get his channeling back... He practically felt weak in the knees. He almost didn't want to ask, and his voice cracked as he spoke, "You can fix me?"

The question caught Damas off guard, and his anger subsided as his heart dropped. The vulnerability in his son's voice stung.

There was silence for several long seconds, and the Oracles eyes dimmed slightly. Finally the precursor answered, "Possibly, but..."

"There's always a but..." Daxter chided.

"It would only be temporary."

Jak's breath stopped, and he closed his eyes to stop the tears that threatened to break the surface. "Temporary?"

"Yes. Your body is quite damaged. Eventually the Dark and Light Eco inside you would..."

"I get it." Jak interrupted coldly, his previous spark of hope diminished. He mentally scolded himself for getting so worked up. It was stupid to think it would be that simple.

"Why did you not inform me of this in our world!?" Damas cried, stepping to stand beside the struggling young warrior, "I may have..."

"You can not channel Dark and Light Eco." The Precursor stated, matter-of-fact, "Jak is the only one who has a chance of making the machine work. His experiences enable him..."

"Experiences, huh." Jak exhaled, his voice detached, "Just tell me what I need to do."

"Approach. I... I don't have a lot of power left. I will try my best."

Jak took a step forward, head hung low. It was the same old song and dance. Daxter shifted uncomfortably on his shoulder and turned a concerned look on his friend, "Jak..."

The youth stopped and turned his head slighty, his eyes drifting to the ottsel.

"This is messed up!" Daxter yelled, then found himself at a loss for words. He huffed, and smacked a small fist against Jak's chest.

It didn't matter. Jak knew exactly what his best friend wanted to say. "It's fine, Dax. Not like I got a choice, really. We already kinda knew that..."

"Why!?" Daxter implored, "Why's it always gotta be _you!?_ Why can't they get someone else for once!? Why can't they just leave you alone!? Why don't you ever get a choice!?"

Jak smiled weakly, reaching up to pull the ottsel off his shoulder. He gently set him down and knelt to look him respectfully in the eye, "It's gotta be me, Dax. You know that. It's not like I can just let the world fall apart."

"They always gotta mess with you!" Daxter barked, spinning to face the statue behind him, "Always gotta dangle something good right in front of your face, and yank it away, so they don't have to get their hands dirty. Ever since we were kids they've been pulling this kinda stuff!"

"If it is any consolation..." The Precursor sighed, "I am truly sorry. We did not intend for any of this, it just sort of happened." He paused, the eyes of the statue flickering, "I'm sorry. We must hurry. My strength is fading."

Daxter continued to glare, and Jak placed a steady hand on his shoulder, "Thanks, Daxter."

"Yeah, yeah..." The ottsel abruptly dismissed the Oracle with a dissatisfied paw at the air, and trudged past his friend toward the others. He didn't ask permission to climb up on Damas's shoulder, and he ignored the disgruntled look the wastelander was giving him, "You might wanna step back, pops. These things ain't usually so nice."

Damas complied, casting an inquisitive look at the ottsel on his shoulder. Daxter nodded at the scene playing out in front of them. Everyone could see the pure hatred that poured from his scowl, "You'll see."

"Jak." The Precursor hesitated, "No matter the world, please know that we have always been in your debt. You are a true hero."

"You know, everyone keeps telling me that. I'm getting really sick of hearing it." Jak replied, bracing himself for the inevitable surge of power, "It doesn't matter. Let's get this over with."

The group watched with a morbid curiosity as the youth tensed, obviously preparing himself. There was a loud, deafening crack, followed by a bright searing flash. Bolts of blue energy sprung violently from the statue, rushing through the air to strike at Jak's form. It seemed to rip into him, and he let out a short, agonizing cry as the energy forced itself through.

Jak trembled. The pain was unbearable. His body was fighting so hard to reject the power coursing through him that he struggled to stay conscious. He was struck suddenly by another bolt, this one a crackling yellow, and he felt himself levitate slightly as the energy poured around him.

Damas's first reaction was to step forward and stop whatever was happening. Daxter hissed and shook his head rapidly, "It's always like this." He frowned, and turned his eyes back to his friend, "...Just usually not this colorful."

The others all looked on in shock as Jak's body writhed in front of them. Two more streams of Eco joined fray, red and green. They snapped against each other as they danced across the young warriors skin before burrowing beneath the surface. Slowly it seemed as though Jak got his bearings, turning himself upright in the air. His was cringing, eyes pulled tightly shut. His feet lowering to leave him standing hunched and shuddering as the last wisps of light faded.

Jak let out a low groan, and stumbled forward, hand grabbing tightly at the tunic on his chest. His body was still glowing, and he was shaking his head slowly back and forth as he fell to his knees and lurched forward, supporting himself on one hand.

There was a sudden blinding burst of light, and numerous, colorful bolts of Eco erupted from Jak's body, crackling haphazardly across the ground before dissipating completely. His eyes shot open, and he gasped desperately for air. After a few seconds he leaned back, and focused a scrutinizing gaze on his shaking palms.

Daxter smacked Damas's shoulder to suggest action, and the wastlander instantly found himself at the youth's side. The others were just a few steps behind.

"Jak." The Oracle mumbled weakly, the glow from it's eyes all but gone. Jak didn't bother to look up, still staring at his hands as he flexed his fingers tentatively.

"Your body will certainly begin to revert back to it's normal state after several days... at most a few weeks." It hesitated, almost seeming to gulp, "Also, I sensed something different in you... something wrong." The Precursor continued, "Be wary of how much you push yourself before you reach the device. I suspect the more you channel, the worse your condition will get..."

Jak coughed, then cursed as he realized his nose was bleeding once again. He quickly wiped it away, "Where's the machine?"

"Buried deep beneath the planets surface. I believe you've actually been there. It was called Snowy Moutain back then."

"What!?" Daxter snapped, "I don't remember anything majorly Precursor-y there before!"

"Near the... peak... there is a hidden entrance. You will be able to open the doors now..." The Oracle's voice began to cut in and out, barely audible, "I... a vision..."

There was a brief moment of confusion as they all got an image seared directly into their minds. It showed a cave, barely visible behind a very literal blizzard of snow. Quickly it pulled away, showing more and more of the surrounding area. A rocky over-croft, several trees...

"Tallest peak... Snowy... tain... must..."

With that, the light in the Oracles eyes died out, and the room grew silent.

"Useless prick..." Daxter snarled, jumping from Damas's shoulder to the ground in front of Jak. He peered intently into his best friend's face, "How ya feeling, big guy?"

Jak shook his head, and his focus shifted from his palms, to the ottsel, "I don't know... weird... tired, I guess." He sniffed, then turned to face the decaying Metal-head that was just a short distance away, "We gotta get out of here... It's going to start releasing Dark Eco any minute..."

Damas helped Jak to his feet, and the group gave him a wide berth as he stumbled forward. He tried to ignore their prying looks as he passed, "I got a hunch..."

He stood meekly in front of the large, metal doors that had barred their way forward earlier. Casually he placed one palm against the center, and frowned when they shifted instantly open.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Torn griped, "How the hell did you do that?"

"I think the Precursor activated them." Jak replied with an annoyed sigh, "Whatever. Let's go."

"You think this'll lead us out?" Sig asked, peering his good eye down the dark hallway in front of them.

"Hope so." Jak answered, stepping through the threshold.  
***

After a short bit of time it seemed as though they were finally headed upward toward the surface. Small, twisting hallways lead to large, ancient rooms, which in turn lead to more small twisting hallways. They hadn't run into any more trouble, other than the occasional gap to jump or jammed door. Walking mostly in silence, their footsteps echoed loudly throughout the temple.

Jak was still in a slight, tired daze. His mind wandered, first focusing on the idea of having his channeling powers back. He definitely felt different, and could tell something had happened, but he was still weary of believing it. Then there was the fact that it wasn't permanent… and that tugged hard at his heartstrings. Channeling was something he used to be innately good at, something that made him feel special. When he lost the ability due to the Dark Eco treatments, he only felt like a freak.

Then there was the thing the Precursor had said… something was wrong. He knew that already though… Ever since his recent run in with Erol, his body hadn't quite been the same. Even the way the Light and Dark Eco interacted inside him felt a bit off, and there was the constant pulse of the wounds caused by the weird glass rods. He was desperately fighting to suppress the memories and feelings that threatened to wash over him if he thought too long about his time in the Terraformer. He was just getting over everything in the Baron's prison when he was suddenly thrust back into the nightmare. He supposed the only reason he had kept it together as well as he had was because now he had friends. There was always Daxter, but now he had other people who were supporting him and pushing him forward.

Jak had migrated to the back of the group, partially to avoid the strange looks his comrades gave him, and partially so he could avoid Seem all together. She was still insistent on eyeing him like a hawk, and it made him uneasy. Whether she was more observant or just more interested than the others about his current well-being was hard to say. She stayed quite about it however, and for that Jak was somewhat grateful.

He had to admit that part of him was also sort of happy. Even with the weird circumstances, the Light Eco in his system seemed to be balancing out his emotions fairly well, and he could hardly notice the tug from the Dark Eco bubbling below the surface. He did feel better than he had in a while now, which lifted his spirits a bit… and even though the whole possible channeling thing wasn't going to last very long, he was somewhat eager to put it to the test.

Daxter was propped loyally on his best friend's shoulder, stealing the occasional unnoticed glance of concern between inappropriate jokes or his normal whines. When he noticed the small ups and downs in Jak's mood, he growled silently to himself. Of all the rotten things the Precursor could have done, dangling Jak's channeling abilities in front of him like that was the worst. The ottsel knew just how much his friend despised himself at times, how out of place and angry he felt at being forced into becoming a monster. His channeling abilities were something he used to be proud of, if not a bit arrogant in a way, but almost deservedly so. He never looked down on anyone else for being unable to do what he did, but channeling was one of his greatest joys. Then he got captured. He got tortured, physically and emotionally. In the process he lost his unique abilities and they were replaced by an uncontrollable violent rage that Jak didn't want. He was broken and had been changed… and could never go back. It destroyed Daxter knowing that he wasn't in time to truly save his best friend.

There was the Light Eco, which Daxter supposed wasn't all bad. It actually seemed to help Jak out a lot, and when he was chock full of the stuff, he would sometimes even act like his old self again. At times he would relax, and his stance would remind Daxter of the boy before the experiments. He would smile, and it would be an actual smile, rather than the fake or sarcastic smile Jak had perfected in recent years. So no, the Light Eco didn't cause Daxter the same disdain that the Dark Eco did… but there was still the fact that it was yet another thing that had the potential to hurt his friend. It was hard to find, and Jak didn't just channel it, he absorbed it, his body needed it to function… just like the Dark Eco. If he went too long without it… It was infuriating. It was all because the Precursors needed someone to save their asses.

"Screw the Precursors…" Daxter barely whispered, wincing when he realized he said it out loud. At first it seemed like no one heard him, then he noticed Jak's sleepy eyes had shifted in his direction. His face gave no indication on what he was feeling, but his eyes held a maelstrom of conflicting emotions that only the ottsel would ever be able to detect.

Jak smirked understandingly, his eyes shining with gratitude towards his friend. He was so caught up in his thoughts he almost walked straight into Torn, who had come to a dead stop with the others in front of a large, sealed door. This one wasn't jammed completely, and with a bit of prying by the two wastelanders it cracked open wide enough for them to enter.

After several steps forward various lights around the room flickered weakly to life, illuminating the path, or rather lack thereof, ahead of them. The room was unbelievably massive and perfectly square. The floor ended several feet from the door, giving way to a pitch black abyss.

That's when Jak noticed several, small round platforms floating in the distance. They glowed a faint blue, and were spread extremely far apart. The first platform however, was just close enough to reach with a strong jump. The soft hum of an Eco source nearby made his ears twitch, and he turned his head to spot a flowing Blue Eco vent.

"No way…" Jak almost smiled, a near childish excitement creeping into his features, "I haven't seen these things since…"

"Ugh… Gol and Maia's house of fun..." Daxter moaned, smacking his forehead, "I _hate_ these things."

Jak quickly took stock of the rest of the room. At the far side, several hundred feet away, was solid floor similar to what they were standing on. It lead to a narrow platform, which lead to a staircase, which lead to several bars he could easily swing across. A few narrow pathways and jumps later was a switch, and if the weird Precursor tubing and architecture were any indication, the switch would no doubt lower a bridge to allow everyone to cross.

"Who thinks of this junk!" Daxter shrieked, following Jak's gaze, "Seriously, how is this a legit way to build a room? There's no way the Precursors used this crap!" He waved his arms wildly, "Sheesh, I mean, who though 'hey, deadly traps and pitfalls are totally homey additions, lets add those!"

"Ah, come on Dax, it's just like old times." Jak playfully pushed at his friend, "It's fun."

"It's _not_ fun!" Daxter replied loudly, "It's dangerous. I like living, thank you very much!"

Jak chuckled, noticing the questioning stares from his comrades. It was obvious none of them had ever had any experience with the strange Precursor mechanisms and Eco platforms.

"What must we do to cross?" Damas asked, "You have dealt with these devices before?"

"You could say that…" Jak replied, and Daxter let out a loud, annoyed sigh, "We did a bit of exploring when we were back in Sandover."

"A _bit!_?" Daxter cocked his brow, "A _bit _he says… It's easy for you, you're at least normal person sized… er well, I guess you're pretty short…"

Jak cast a dark glare at his friend, and Daxter continued, "Try dealing with this when you're two feet tall and fuzzy! You know how many times I almost lost my tail while you did all your fancy acrobatic martial arts stuff? I still have scars from all the fire traps and spike pits and… everything else! I swear there are dent's in your shoulder plate from me having to hold on so tight…"

Torn rolled his eyes, "We can take a trip down memory lane later, ladies. How do we get out of here?"

"It's… tricky." Jak replied, scratching the back of his head, "You gotta channel the Blue Eco long enough to get across…"

Damas eyed the Eco vent, and Jak instantly grew serious, "No. Not this time. There's no way I'm letting you do this one."

"You heard the Precursor," Damas argued sternly, "You shouldn't…"

"No." Jak cut him off venomously, a complete lack of negotiation in his tone, "This isn't as easy as what you did earlier."

Daxter had leapt from his friend's shoulder and was peering down into the chasm. He picked up a chipped pebble from the floor and tossed it in, ear stretched to catch the eventual echo. It never came, "I think you better listen to Jak on this one, sandy."

Sig couldn't help but snicker, "Sandy?"

"Yeah, you know, desert, sand… eh, whatever," Daxter shrugged, "Seriously old man, as much as I hate to give him a big head, you should let him do it."

"Excuse me?" Damas huffed, stepping forward.

"Hey, no disrespect!" Daxter continued, ignoring the glower he was receiving from the wastlander, "But can you honestly say you even know what's gonna happen when you step on that platform?"

"Listen." Jak cut in, "I'm not gonna lie: you did great earlier. I was pretty impressed…" He flushed slightly, "But this is different. Way different. I've actually done this before. Besides…" He turned a wistful eye toward the crackling blue vent, "We don't know If what the Precursor did even really worked. We're gonna have to test it out."

Sig came to stand next to Damas, "You sure you're up for it, Cherry?"

Jak just nodded, gaze never leaving the vent. Damas caught a brief flash of yearning in the young warriors eyes and he sighed, relenting, "Fine." He knew he had lost this particular fight, hard as that was to admit. He found himself at a cross between being angry that he was being defied, and anxious to protect his son.

Jak smirked slightly, suggesting he was going to act whether he had Damas's permission or not. He almost apprehensively approached the Eco source, and stopped just as the hairs on his skin began to stand on end. He hesitated momentarily, taking a sharp, long breath, "Well… here goes nothing…"

Taking a few, uneasy steps forward he felt the energy in the air thicken, and he raised a steady, confident palm. The Eco instantly jumped toward him, and he braced himself in case his body rejected it. He cringed slightly as a sharp, Jagged moment of pain flashed through, but was relieved when it subsided and was replaced by a chaotic, but familiar surge of power. He gasped with a pleasant surprise, caught off guard for only a few seconds before he fell into the proper motions, twisting the Eco around himself just as he used to when he was younger. He was nearly ecstatic that his body seemed to latch on and react to the muscle memories of days long past.

It was a curious sight for all those observing. Daxter let out a short sigh of relief when he realized that Jak was actually channeling, and not in serious pain. He jerked a thumb towards his friend, turning an antagonistic grin at Damas, "See, that's how it's _actually_ done."

Damas ignored the obvious attempt to goad him, instead focusing on the young warrior in front of him. Jak was clearly well practiced, and he pushed and pulled the Eco around him in large, wide arcs. When he seemed convinced he was ready, he took a handful of quick steps back, and stopped in front of the group. The wastelander realized that even though he wasn't running, he also wasn't standing still by any means of the word. Jak's body faintly glowed a deep sky blue, and small bolts of Eco zigzagged their way across his form. He hopped back and forth between his feet energetically, curling and stretching his fingers continuously. Damas remembered Jak's instruction from earlier: You had to move.

Jak's eyes pulsed an electric blue, and he turned his gaze downward at Daxter with a quick jerk of his head. A small hint of a smirk crossed his features, and he looked almost as though he would speak. He stayed silent however, and lowered a palm to his friend.

"Not this time," Daxter shook his head, "I'll hold the fort down here, you do your thing."

Jak snorted, and with a few insanely fast steps found himself at the edge of the abyss. He took a deep breath, and jumped to the first platform, a trail of blue Eco following in his wake. It lit up brightly beneath him, and he once again took to bouncing back and forth, turning one last look at his friends.

"Why don't you go with him, Chili Pepper?" Sig asked when he felt Daxter scurry up to his shoulder.

"Being slingshotted hundreds of feet into the air makes me really sick." Daxter replied plainly.

"Being what!?" Damas dashed forward, glaring at the youth who now sported a devious grin. Jak gave him a thumbs up, and crouched to a pouncing position.

He jumped, and the warriors all shared a collective gasp as Jak was flung skyward in a rush of crackling blue light. He almost seemed to hang in the air for a few seconds as he gained his bearings, eventually free falling toward the next platform in the sequence. He landed hard, and almost lost his balance. He used his arms to recover, He crouched again and again, and after several harrowing close calls, he found himself standing a bit shaken on the other side of the room. He only paused for a moment to catch his breath, then dashed up and around the platforms and up the stairs.

"Is that what I looked like when I ran?" Damas asked, barely able to follow the youth's movements.

"More or less..." Sig replied, eyes following Jak as he zipped across the ramps above them.

"A lot more clumsy." Daxter teased.

Jak had reached the edge of the ramp he was on, and stepped on a blue Eco switch. It glowed, and along the wall the swingbars began to slowly grind and drift up and down. He was starting to feel the uncomfortable strain that excessive channeling brought about, but he focused and suppressed it, reaching out for the first bar. He moved across like an expert acrobat, and landed with a small thud on the final platform. Without skipping a beat he dashed for the switch, activated it, and paused only momentarily to watch the bridge lower into place for his friends. At his side, a small blue Eco platform sprung to life, and he boarded. He was tiring fairly quickly now, but he continued to hop back and forth in place as the lift brought him down toward the edge of the room. It stopped just short of the floor, and he took a sharp breath and jumped, barely clearing the gap. He rolled, smacked into the wall and landing on his back. He clenched his eyes shut as he heard the pounding of footsteps approach, and the deafening throb of his own heart in his ears. With a groan, he exhaled, and in a flash of light he released the remaining Blue Eco in his system.

"Jak!" Daxter called out, rushing ahead of the group toward his friend's motionless body. At first he thought Jak might have hurt himself, until he heard a stifled laugh echo across the chamber.

Jak's chest heaved as he caught his breath, and he waved a hand lazily through the air, "Oh... man... Dax... I'm so out of practice."

Daxter stood at his friends shoulder, and looked into his face. His eyes were still clenched shut, and Daxter was a little distraught to see Jak was clutching tightly at his chest below his heart. He loosened up when he noticed the big, dumb grin plastered across the youth's face. Daxter cracked a toothy smile of his own, "You tripped on the finish line there, bud."

"Yeah, yeah..." Jak laughed, rolling over to push himself to his feet.  
***

Vin's last spider-bot shuffled quietly into the room, trying to not disturb the sleeping ottsel. Keira was going through the data that Vin had collected while in the Terraformer, sitting cross legged in the large cushioned chair next to the bed. Ashelin was standing at the open window, glancing worriedly at the streets below. She heard the door shift open, and turned to face him.

"How is she?" Vin asked, pulling himself over the headboard to glance down and get a reading on the ottsel's vitals.

"She's fine..." Keira yawned, stretching her arms above her head. She looked pleased to be distracted, abandoning the data, "I think she still has a bit of a fever, but it's not bad."

"You saved her life, Vin." Ashelin strolled to the bedside, "Who knows how much longer she would have been able to hang on."

"Eh... ah.. It was nothing. I'm glad she's ok." Vin replied, "I uh, found some stuff on the security feeds..."

"Oh?" Ashelin's tired eyes perked up, "Something we can use I hope?"

"Ah, well... Erol has some sort of cloaking device now... on his body." Vin explained, bringing up a holographic image in the air above his bot, "It's how he snuck into the city in the first place. Even with all the metal-head and Dark-maker chaos, you'd think someone would have noticed _Erol._"

The image he was showing displayed Erol tearing from the burning bar, taking a few steps, and with a shimmering light vanishing against the background. Keira studied it intently, looking at the changes across the cyborgs body. Several jagged shards of metal jutted from his shoulder, arm and the cavern in his chest that Vin had created when he self destructed. It looked like the Dark-makers had patched him up with parts of their own bodies, which shot a shiver down her spine.

"He's not completely invisible." The mechanic spoke up, shifting in her seat and cocking her head to the side. She poked at the hologram slightly, and it wavered around her finger, "He's camouflaged, but there's a weird outline..."

Ashelin stared, noticing what Keira was pointing out. A thin, flickering outline, "Make sure the KG are aware of this." she ordered, "Any idea where he went?"

"No. I think he's still in the city though." Vin replied, "I haven't found any evidence to suggest otherwise."

"Great." The red head groaned, running her fingers through her hair, "I'll up security around the exits, and stadium district... and as much as I would like to think not even he's stupid enough to try and attack the palace, I'll get a few more patrols just in case. At least you guys downed that Terraformer... good job on that, by the way."

"I wonder if he tried to move it?" Keira grinned, "There's no way it's going anywhere. Even if they get it working enough to be active, it's _not_ moving. Especially when the Eco tanks blow."

"Any word from Daxter?" A quite, bubbly voice pipped up from the mound of blankets.

"Ah, damn, sorry Tess, did we wake you up?" Ashelin helped pull her friend free, and cast an apologetic glance toward her.

"Oh, no. I've been in and out for a bit now..." Tess answered, yawning, "I feel a lot better."

"Good." Ashelin answered, "...but no. I haven't heard anything from the boys. They haven't even returned to Spargus yet."

Tess looked down for a brief second before her ears perked back up and she smiled, "I'm sure they're fine. Its hard to get a good signal all the way in the wasteland, especially if they aren't so close to Spargus."

"True." The governor replied. She was still extremely unsettled about not having heard from Torn, but Tess did have a point.

Keira tilted her head slightly, a curious look crossing her features, "You know, I've actually never been to Spargus."

"Me either." Tess shrugged, "Daxter always just says 'It's deserty.'" She mocked his voice, bobbing her head back and forth, and giggled, "Jak seems to like it out there though."

"It's hot." Ashelin added, having been to Spargus multiple times during peace negotiations, "...and different. You've met a few of the wastelanders who come into town for trade and stuff right?"

Keira nodded. She knew Sig, of course, and there was the occasional trader at the bar, or customer at her garage.

"Ok, well, they're all like that." Ashelin explained, "They don't have an acting militia... the citizens, every man and woman, is a warrior. It's all about respect out there. Sig is about the most laid back wastelander I've ever met. Don't get me wrong, some of them are pretty nice, but it would be stupid to underestimate any of them."

"Hmm... Makes sense," Tess smiled, "I mean, look at Jak's dad... he was their King, right?"

Ashelin nodded, "He was the ruler here before he became king in Spargus, before my dad... came to power." She grew silent, and the others knew anything involving her father was a touchy subject.

"I wonder how he feels about everything..." Keira mused, "I mean, I really feel sorry for him. His world is pretty much dead now, right? He can't really show his face in the wasteland, since he's supposed to be dead and all, and then there's the whole Jak and him thing... After all this is over, where is he gonna go?"

Ashelin hadn't given it much thought until now. Everything had to be extremely awkward for Damas, and she wondered if he felt some sort of disdain toward her for being a Praxis. If so, he hadn't shown it... She had been so focused on the current events she hadn't considered his situation much at all.

"He's tough, like Jakie. He'll be ok." Tess scratched at the scab above her brow, wincing when it gave a quick jolt of pain. She sighed, laying back down. Her body was sore, and she was beginning to feel nauseous. She'd been lucky in the morning sickness department, but not so much otherwise. Her fever wasn't helping either, but she supposed it could have been much, much worse.

"Hey, Vinnie?" Tess looked up at the spider-bot camped out above her. He activated his holographic head to give her something more human like to speak to.

"Uh, yes? What is it?" He almost seemed to fidget nervously.

"I just wanted to say thanks for coming for me. You're my hero."

If the construct could have blushed, it would have, "I thought Daxter was your hero?"

"Just because he's my hero, doesn't mean you can't be a hero too." Tess replied, giving him a gentle smile.

Keira was deep in thought and staring absentmindedly across the room when the door shuffled opened. Snapping out of her daze, she and the others all glanced over to witness the short, stubby Sage shuffle in.

Samos's head was bowed slightly, and he could feel the harsh stares from the women in the room. Even Vin was giving him a distasteful look. He did his best to ignore them as he trudged over to the bed.

"You can all stop now... I just came to check up on Tess." Samos said quietly.

Keira could have bored holes through the back of her father's skull, and when he turned to look at her he cringed. Sighing, he hung his head even lower, "You... may have been right, earlier. I suppose I should apologize."

The young mechanic was taken aback, but Ashelin just snorted, "The great Sage Samos admitting he was wrong?"

"Yes." Samos went to work examining the ottsel, "I... made many mistakes. I won't apologize for what _was_ necessary... but my actions have not been the most admirable. I will try to make amends on that front."

"What about Jak?" Keira asked.

"I... regret... many of the things I did with him. I was perhaps not the most suitable caretaker for him as a child... and I am truly sorry for what has happened to him. I know I must accept some of the blame."

"You know he didn't mean to hurt me, right?" Keira continued, "I surprised him while he was having a nightmare."

"I do." Samos nodded, "I know he would never intentionally hurt you... especially you."

Keira seemed satisfied, but Ashelin continued to prod, "Is that all?"

Samos ignored the bite in her voice, "I will speak with Jak later."

Ashelin rolled her eyes, leaving the bedside and strolling back to the window, "I need to meet with my council on a few matters... Vin, can you come with me?"

"Sure." The spider-bot's holo-projection vanished, "I'll head to the council chambers now."

The governor nodded, "I need to get cleaned up and change. I'll be there in a bit." She continued to glance down at the streets below for several long seconds, then turned to follow the bot out.

"Hey, before you go..." Keira caught her arm, "Can I ask you a favor?"

Ashelin cocked her head slightly, and shrugged, "Sure. What is it?"

Keira held her breath slightly, knowing full well the reaction she was about to get. She quickly blurted out, "CanIgetatransporttoSpargus?"

Both Samos and Ashelin snapped to attention, speaking in unison, "What!?"

"I want to go to Spargus. I wanna talk to Jak and Daxter. If they haven't even gotten back to the city yet, maybe I can meet up with them... try to explain what's going on and calm them down before they get here and find the bar burned to the ground, and Tess holed up in bed. Plus, I don't think they'll appreciate hearing it over a com-link.

"I think it's a good idea. I'd go too if I wasn't so bleh..." Tess moaned, "None of us are doing any good just sitting here, waiting to be attacked."

Samos shook his head, "The wasteland is dangerous, Keira. Your ribs are still mending, and I don't think it's wise..."

"I'm not planning on touring the desert, daddy." Keira sighed, "I'm just worried about them, and I want to do _something._"

Ashelin stared long and hard, eventually relenting, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Its actually probably safer than staying here, in a way. Erol's still loose after all..." She tapped a few fingers to her lips in thought, "I'd escort you myself, but I can't leave just yet. There's too much to do here in Haven... There's actually a couple wastelanders Sig left here to help. I can ask them to go with you..." She smiled devilishly, "Plus, once they find out you're '_prince Mar's'_ girl, they'll probably treat you like royalty."

"What!?" Keira's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, "I'm not..."

"Come on now, hun." Tess laughed, "Let's be honest with ourselves."  
***

When they finally found themselves back outside the temple, the sun had started it's slow decent on the horizon. Various stars began to twinkle into existence against the violet sky, and the breeze that flowed off the ocean had become somewhat bitter. They each took a moment to use the salty water to wipe themselves down, Jak needing some assistance from Daxter to get the worst of the dried blood out of his hair. They all still looked like they had been to hell and back, but the fresh air and cold water reinvigorated them considerably.

It would be a long ride back to Spargus, but other than the eerie cracks that hadn't vanished from the last earthquake, the sky was clear and suggested no chance of running into a desert storm. They began to settle into their buggies, Damas pulling the cloak back over his features, and Jak packing the protective tarp they had used to disguise the vehicles. Seem took one last long look at the temple before proceeding to his side.

"What is it?" Jak asked uncomfortably.

"As soon as we reach the city I will organize a few trusted monks to return here and find a way to harness the Light Eco. We have many secrets stored away, and I believe there is most certainly a way to safety retrieve large quantities of the Eco for your future use."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Jak replied uneasily, "I appreciate that..."

Seem nodded, lowering her voice, "I must ask again that you allow me to assess your condition before you leave back to Haven."

Jak rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Maybe. I'll think about it."

The Monk didn't look necessarily pleased with his answer, but she gave a curt nod and brought her fingers up in a complicated prayer before shifting over to her own vehicle.

Once everyone was ready they took off, following the stars back to Spargus.

**Authors note: ** That's it for tonight ladies and gentlemen. Hope you liked it, and please don't forget to review!


	12. Chapter 11

**Authors note: **Not much to say this time, I'll probably be going through the past chapters in the next few days to re-edit mistakes once again...

So here we go: it's another sappy fluff chapter, so hope you enjoy! Calm before the storm maybe?

Thanks for all the reviews guys! It keeps me motivated for sure! Keep em coming!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

* * *

Keira sat quietly, staring down at the small, reddish amulet in her hands. Across from her were two of Sig's wastelanders, both of whom had agreed to escort her to Spargus at Ashelin's request. One was old, and several deep scars decorated his face. Unlike Jak, he seemed to wear them more like a badge of honor, though she was sure that had more to do with their origins than anything. Through a bit of mild conversation the mechanic had learned that most of his injuries had come from the arena… apparently a test of strength in the desert city.

The other wastelander was young, perhaps just a few years older than herself. He seemed slightly more talkative than his comrade, curious on how she knew Jak and Daxter. It seemed as though the Demolition Duo had made a bit of a reputation for themselves in the wasteland, their endeavors very well known, though Keira was curious how much had been exaggerated by Daxter's embellishments. Neither wastelander commented on his relation to the late King however, Ashelin had suggested that it was because they respected the young warrior's wishes.

The seal was cold in her grasp, and she traced the engravings with a finger as her mind drifted. She was glad one of the Krimson Guards had managed to pull it from the rubble, and that he had been honest enough to rush it over to the Palace and give it to Ashelin. Even if Jak didn't usually wear it, Keira knew it was special to him. After spending some time in his apartment, she had come to realize that her longtime friend didn't have many objects he considered important enough to keep, and there was certainly not anything from his childhood in Sandover.

Keira's greatest possessions were the small, random assortment of trinkets she had in her pockets on the day they came through the rift. They weren't anything particularly valuable… A small precursor bolt, a few tiny seashells… little mementos. When the Stadium district had been destroyed, she had rushed to her apartment to collect them. They were more important to her than anything in her garage.

Jak didn't have anything like that. He couldn't have. She realized everything that he may have had on him would have been taken and destroyed when he was captured by Erol. The amulet was all he had. It was the only physical connection that Jak had to prove who he was and where he came from, and Keira silently thanked the precursors that it had survived the fire.

There was a sudden thump as the transport landed, snapping the young mechanic from her thoughts. She quickly and carefully placed the seal in the pack on her hip, double and triple checking to make sure it was secure. Once satisfied, she smiled up at her two escorts.

The older man nodded, and let out a small grunt, gathering his belongings as he stood, "Kleiver's s'posed to be meetin' us at the gate." He sighed, "He'll show ya to the palace. I guess the King and yer friends still ain't back yet."

"Kleiver?" Keira had heard the name before, but had never met the man.

The wastelander just hmmphed in return, and they stepped out into the chilly evening air.

***  
It was nearly midnight when the group finally caught sight of the giant flaming beacon in the distance. The strange cracks caused by the colliding time-lines glowed slightly pink against the dark night sky, shifting and crawling among the collection of twinkling stars that had flickered into existence above them. The temperature had dropped, and they were all sluggish and tired, eager to properly bathe and rest.

The iron gates came into view and Jak gave a small sigh of relief. He was both physically and mentally exhausted. He had used an exponential amount of Eco in a fairly short amount of time, and while he still had an impressive supply, it had definitely taken its toll. He was looking forward to crashing for once. There was no assumptions that they would be returning to Haven that night, they all needed some serious recuperation.

Slowly they drifted into the city, oil fueled torches illuminating Kleiver's work area. The gigantic wastelander was there to greet them as they crawled from the buggy's roll-cages. He gave a harsh snort at the state they were all in, Damas carefully hiding his face to avoid detection, "Rough day I take it?"

"Ugh. Don't even wanna talk about it." Sig answered, drawing the man's attention away from his old friend, "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"No. Nothing particularly entertainin'…" Kliever held a snarky smirk that he directed straight toward Jak. The youth shook his head and chose to ignore him, far too tired for whatever confrontation Kliever had in mind. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and turned to leave. He was stopped dead in his tracks just shy of the inner city gate when the wastelander finally chose to elaborate, "Well, there was the pretty little mechanic girl that showed up from Haven a few hours ago…"

"What!?" Jak turned on his heel and glared, "What are you talking about?!"

"Oh, her name was Ker –something or other… "The wastelander stroked his chin, "I left her wanderin' the palace somewhere…"

"Dammit!" The youth turned and dashed away, Daxter clinging haphazardly to his shoulder guard. Damas stopped himself from scolding the wastelander for antagonizing his son.

Kliever let out a cackle, directing his attention back to Sig, "Gotta admit though, the little lass knew her stuff. She was down here for a while pokin' and proddin' on me buggys like she owned the place."

Sig chuckled quietly, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers, "Anyone else show up we should know about?"

"Naw, just the twerp's little girlfriend. Praxis's little brat radioed ahead to let us know she was coming with some of your boys who were in the big smoke."

Sig gave a grunt in appreciation and nodded to Damas, and Torn, "I need a drink. How about you guys?"

Damas nodded silently, and Torn shrugged, "I gotta check in with Ash, then yeah, sure."

"I will take my leave then, your Highness," Seem spoke up, bowing her head and closing her eyes, "There is much I need to discuss with my fellow monks. We must find a way to retrieve the Light Eco we found at the temple."  
***

Jak had hastily stumbled throughout the palace halls, first heading to the throne room, then all the way down to the kitchens. Keira was no where to be seen, and he was entirely too frustrated by the search. He let out a low growl, "I'm going to kill Kleiver."

Daxter smirked, slightly amused at his friends aggravation. Wherever Keira was, she was probably perfectly fine. Jak was just being an overprotective worry-wort. He flicked his best friend in the ear, then cracked a smile, "You know, she's probably just hanging in your room."

Jak paled slightly, "Oh... I didn't think to check there..." He shook his head, a frown forming as he continued quietly, "Oh, man I hope not..."

Daxter cocked his head to the side, "Why not?"

"Do you even remember what that room looked like when we left?" Jak replied, groaning as he jogged up a flight of stairs. His quarters were located on the top floor, "I just... I don't want her to see that."

Daxter suddenly understood, realizing that Jak was talking about the destruction he had caused earlier when he lost control. The ottsel nodded... He had definitely torn the room apart. He tried to make his friend feel better, "It's Keira, Jak. She's not gonna care..."

Jak mumbled something under his breath, cutting a corner to jog down the secluded hallway leading to his rooms. Sig had insisted that Jak take Damas's old quarters, which not only included the sleeping and lounging room, but a private bath located just next door that was connected by a secret door located in one of the walls of his bedroom. He suspected it was an escape route, in case there was an attack.

He came to the large, ornate double doors and took a deep breath as he spotted the five small puncture holes his claws had created earlier. Gingerly he placed the tips of his fingers against them and sighed, gripping his other hand on the latch to pull.

He was almost scared to pop his head into the room, but Daxter gave him a quick smack to motivate him, "Come on big guy."

Jak nodded and peeked in, silently relieved when he saw that most of the mess had been cleaned up. The monks must have done it while they were gone. There were a few less pieces of furniture, but all in all it wasn't an entire disaster zone. It looked as though they had replaced the love seat as well.

"Jak?" Keira's voice drifted across the room and he spied her bending lazily over a few logs she had heaved into the fireplace. A small, nearly dead fire flickered between the wood, and she had soot on her fingers and smudged across her face. Jak almost laughed... she clearly hadn't had any luck actually building the fire.

"Hello beautiful!" Daxter called, jumping from his perch, "You know, you didn't have to come all the way here too see little old me... I don't think Tess is gonna like that too much."

Keira giggled, using a rag from her coat to wipe away the grime. She gave a small, delicate smile "Hello Daxter." Her smile quickly faded, and her eyes flashed with pure concern as she looked back up towards the youth who was shuffling into the room.

Jak noticed the somber expression, and his heart sank, "Keira? What's wrong?"

"I... wait... what happened to you?" Keira cocked her head to the side and her eyes grew wide. Jak realized he was still covered in filth, and hadn't managed to get all the dried blood off his clothes and out of his hair, "Oh man, Jak, are you ok!?" She rushed over and began absentmindedly pulling at the tears in his clothes and armor, "Where are you hurt!?"

He gently grabbed her wrist to stop her, his lips forming a thin, appreciative smile, "I'm not. Not anymore. I know it looks bad, but I promise, I'm ok."

She continued to stare for several seconds, obviously skeptical. Finally Daxter spoke up, "Our boy got all pumped full of Light Eco."

"You did?" The mechanic's shoulders dropped as a sense of relief seemed to drift across her features, "That's good, right?"

"Yeah." Jak's smile waned slightly as he released his grip, "It's a good thing... but something else is wrong. I can tell..."

Keira sighed, and moved past the young warrior to shut the door behind him. She slowly trudged over the the new love seat, and slumped into it, head drooping slightly as she rummaged through her hip pack. She curled her thing fingers around the amulet, and showed it to him.

Jak snatched his seal perhaps a bit too hastily, gripping it tight. A dark, streak seemed to flash across his narrowing eyes, "Why do you have this!?"

Keira cringed at his sudden harsh tone, and he relented slightly, pulling the amulet closer to his chest. He scolded himself internally for snapping at her.

"What's up Keira?" Daxter asked, noticing just how tense his old friend had become. She turned to head to look at him as he leapt up next to her, "What happened?"

The mechanic sighed, and buried her face in her palms, "Sorry Daxter... There was a fire... The bar..."

"What!?" Both of her friends croaked in unison.

Jak stumbled forward, running a hand roughly through his hair. He looked down her, his previous exhaustion gone. Now he was worked up, "What happened!?"

"Oh... Oh no, Tess?" Daxter's voice cracked, and his fur was standing on end.

Keira scooped the ottsel into her arms and wrapped him in a tight hug, "She's ok. She's ok Daxter. It was a close call, but Vin and Ashelin got her out."

"Got her out!?" Daxter struggled slightly, his heart racing. His friend was still bear hugging him, "What!? Got her out of where!?"

"She was pinned when she got caught in a cave in. Vin had to crawl in and get her out." She explained, "She's ok. A little roughed up, and a little fever, but Vin saved her."

Daxter seemed to relax momentarily, before his small, furry body suddenly tensed again, "Oh... No, no what about...?"

Keira shushed him, "The babies are fine. Daddy made sure. They're all fine."

The ottsel went limp, his body giving out to his mental exhaustion. He burred his face in her chest, just below her chin, "I... I shoulda been there. What... what happened? Was it the earthquake?"

Keira grew rigid, her eyes shifting up towards the youth that was standing just in front of her. Tears threatened to break the surface, "No... It wasn't the earthquake." She cleared her throat, and loosened her grip on the furry ottsel to move one hand to grab Jak's own fingers, "Uh... Erol survived. He's the one that attacked the bar during the last quake."

Daxter's eyes went wide and he looked up, "What?!"

Jak hadn't moved, but his face shifted from confused shock, to angry fear, "Erol attacked the bar..." He clenched her her hand unknowingly, "He's alive..."

She nodded, "He ran off though, after Tess got away from him. She was too smart for him."

Something behind Jak's eyes seemed to almost click, and he whispered quietly, "He was looking for me..."

Keira's silence gave him all the confirmation he needed, and he tore his hand violently free from hers. She winced at the sudden jerk, her still healing ribs creaking in protest. Jak noticed, and he took a quick step back, shaking his head and snapping his eyes shut, "...and Tess got hurt..."

"She's fine. She's at the palace, with my Dad and Ashelin. Vin's there too." Keira explained, using her now free hand to grip her side, "She wanted to come too, but I think the babies were making her nauseous."

Daxter let out a weak sob, "I'm gonna rip the rest of his face off!" He pulled himself free of the mechanic's grip, "...I... Tess... I swear to the stupid Precursors that I'm going to... ARRG Erol!"

Jak didn't know what to do. His mind was shifting back and forth between guilt, and fear. Memories of both his times in captivity boiled to the surface, and he struggled to fight them back. This wasn't about him, it was about Daxter. He couldn't handle seeing his best friend hurt, and grew angry at himself for not knowing how to provide comfort. Daxter was in pain, and all he knew how to do was stand there and stare like moron. Jak grunted, and quickly stomped his way toward the bed chamber, slamming the thin wooden door behind him.

"She's really ok?" Daxter asked, tearful eyes scanning the mechanics face.

"I promise." Keira replied, "I was with her just before I left. I just wanted to see you guys, and tell you in person. I didn't want you to hear it over a com... or even worse, from Torn. Tess thought it was a good idea too."

Daxter nodded, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands. He seemed to calm down rather quickly, but Keira knew it was somewhat of a front. There was no way he wasn't internally stressing, "The bar... how bad?"

Keira sighed, shaking her head, "Jak's seal is the only thing they found in the rubble."

The ottsel slumped, taking a seat next to her, "Oh... well... it's insured. I'm just... oh man, Tess..."

Keira put a comforting hand on his shoulder, just as a loud crash broke through from the room beyond. In an instant they were both on their feet, and the mechanic flung open the doors.

Jak stood slightly hunched over what was left of a small dresser. One hand was supporting his weight against the wall, the other was hanging near his side, pale fingers outstretched to showcase long, black claws that crackled with Dark Eco. His back heaved with each deep breath, and though his ears twitched as they entered, he didn't turn to face them.

"Jak?" Daxter slowly approached, "You ok there buddy?"

The young warrior growled, "It's my fault..."

Daxter's ears went back, though he was somewhat relieved that Jak was speaking. It meant he was in control at the moment, and not about to just loose it. He was just mad. They could handle mad. The ottsel was about to reply, but was caught off guard when Keira rushed past him and put a gentle hand on Jak's shoulder. She was obviously nervous, but didn't let it stop her, "No it's not Jak. The only person to blame is Erol."

"She's right." Daxter added, though he was still just as shaken up as his friend about the news, "That metal mouthed bastard did it, not you."

"He only attacked the bar because he wanted to get to me." Jak replied, his breath raspy "If it weren't for me, Tess..."

"Tess is ok..." Keira reiterated, pulling gently on his shoulder. He shifted uncomfortably, retrieving his clawed hand to his chest to hide it from his friends, "And she's gonna be really pissed off if she finds out that you're trying to blame yourself."

He seemed to struggle with himself momentarily before he turned his head to glance back at her. She was a somewhat shocked to see that his eyes were pitch black, just like the time she had startled him out of his nightmare. The mechanic forced herself to stand strong, even though inwardly she was suppressing the fear that came with the memory of those angry, rage fueled eyes.

Jak began to realize what was going on and he snapped his eyes shut and stepped away, pulling deep at the Light Eco in his system to suppress the Dark. He clenched his retracting claws against his chest, refusing to face her until he got his emotions under control.

He stiffened slightly when he felt her sturdy arms wrap themselves around his sides to grasp him in a gentle hug from behind. He felt her breath against his neck as she rested her head against the back of his, ignoring the mess of dirty hair against her skin. Her elbows rubbed against his Precursor armor, and she brought one hand up to lay it across the fingers he had gripped against his chest.

He pulled his still clawed hand away, but she refused to allow him to escape and held tight.

Within a few seconds his anger was gone, replaced by a mix of yearning, calm, and grief. His tense muscles relaxed, and he leaned into her slightly. He kept his eyes closed, letting out a long, deep breath.

Daxter had to admit that he was a little surprised... but it was a good kind of surprised. He hadn't seen Jak let his guard down so completely to anyone other than himself in a very long time. He could almost see Jak's anger evaporate as Keira comforted him, and it was a relief to see his best friend's always too stern face give way to something far gentler, something that wasn't a facade.

The ottsel stepped forward, and placed one hand against the side of Jak's knee, "Sheesh you two... get a room already!" Jak's eyes fluttered open, and he slowly turned a vulnerable gaze down to the friend by his side, "Oh, man Jak, you reek. Go take a bath before you rub off on Keira."

Jak sighed, and pulled away from the mechanic's embrace. He nodded, and shuffled over to the hidden wall latch that led to his private bath. With a forceful push, a small section of the wall shifted open and he vanished into the room beyond.

Once the door snapped back into place Daxter sighed, looking up at the mechanic, "Thank you."

She looked a bit confused, and cocked her head to the side, "For what?"

Daxter shrugged, "Don't worry about it. I need a drink. I'm gonna go get a drink. Tell Jak I went to get a drink..." He turned to leave, the soft patter of his feet ceasing once he was just on the other side of the doorway. His ears twitched slightly, and he turned back to face her, "He got really messed up Keira... That's on me. I didn't make it in time to save him."

"Daxter...?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm never going to abandon him again... but he needs other people who aren't afraid to get close to him. So thanks." He sighed, "And thanks for coming to tell us what happened."

Keira nodded, and quietly watched him leave. After several seconds she turned back to the demolished dresser, and went to work cleaning up the mess. After that, she attempted once again to light a fire. It had gotten pretty chilly, and even with her jacket she shivered slightly.

"Dammit!" The mechanic fanned the small flickering flame, desperate to keep it from dying out completely. She groaned when it snuffed out beneath a log, "Why can't they just install Eco heaters!?"

"I like this better." Jak's voice startled her, and her eyes snapped up to meet his own, "You never were good at building fires..."

He stood in the doorway, towel draped over his shoulders. He was wearing a loose pair of pants, but had abandoned everything else. He wasn't actively trying to hide himself from her as much as he'd done in the past, but It was obvious he was still weary about exposing too much skin.

"Yeah, well..." She kicked a log with her boot, "It's just dumb."

Jak actually chuckled, and trudged forward to stand beside her. He looked down at the pile of wood and shook his head. He smirked, mocking the tone she had used when she corrected his bandages, "That's not how you build a fire Keira."

"Well if you're such and expert, you do it!" She barked, crossing her arms, "It's freezing in here!"

Jak nodded. The cold didn't bother him as much as most people, and he suspected it had something to do with how much his body had changed due to the baron's Eco experiments. He could tell it was chilly, but it took a far lower temperatures to drive him to discomfort, "Sorry. Give me a minute."

Keira stood by his side as he rearranged her mess of tinder, making quick work of his task. Just a few minutes later the flames danced wildly, instantly bringing a red glow and comforting warmth to the room.

"That's better!" Keira smiled, sliding tiredly onto the love seat.

Jak stood slightly hunched, gripping the edges of his towel for a few moments before easing himself awkwardly down next to her. He held out a palm, staring intently at his finger tips, "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you..."

"I wasn't scared." The mechanic replied, leaning heavily against his arm. She wasn't looking at him, instead she seemed to find something about the floor entirely too interesting.

He cocked an eyebrow skeptically, tilting his head back to stare at her in disbelief, "Really..."

"Really."

"Mmmhmm." He snorted, curling his fingers into a lazy fist. He couldn't believe he'd given in, even with all the Light Eco he had at his disposal. He couldn't believe he'd let Erol get under his skin to such a degree. He couldn't believe he'd let Keira see him like that once again.

Thinking about Erol made his skin crawl, and reminded him of the dull, pulsing pain in his chest. Slowly he brought his fist to his chest, drawing it up and underneath the towel. He concentrated on the Light Eco, letting it's soothing strength wash over him.

"Jak?"

He was startled out of his thoughts, and his bright blue eyes drifted meekly down to meet her concerned emerald ones. She sat up, favoring one side slightly, "I'm really not..."

"Oh, man, I'm sorry!" Jak interrupted, acting without a thought. He motioned for her to take off her jacket, "I can help..."

She hesitated for several seconds before complying, wincing as she pulled her arms free from their sleeves. He carefully helped, clearly forcing a gentleness he was unaccustomed to having to use. She was wearing a thick, light pink tank top, her familiar gold goggles resting against her collarbone. He almost touched her without thinking, stopping himself as he flushed, scratching his cheek with one finger, "I uh, need you to lift your shirt a bit..."

She understood what he meant, and chuckled slightly at his innocent embarrassment, "Oookkk... what are you gonna do?" She tugged at the bottom of her top, lifting it to expose her ribs.

He placed a calloused palm against her skin, and she jerked slightly at his touch. His fingers were colder than she expected.

"Sorry!" Jak pulled away, dread overtaking his features, "I didn't mean..."

"No, no, it's fine. Your hand is just cold." Keira giggled, "Go ahead..."

He nodded, and carefully pressed a palm against her ribs. She cringed slightly as he pushed harder, but was curious observing his actions. His eyes drifted closed, and he inhaled deeply, almost as if he was entering a trance like state. There was an unfamiliar sensation just beneath her skin, and she resisted the urge to pull away, trusting him to do whatever it was he was doing.

A smooth hum escaped Jak's throat, "There's still a bit of Green Eco..." His eyes remained closed as he tilted his head to the side, almost as if he was listening for something, "Your dad did a really good job..."

Jak was relieved. She'd been healing extremely well, and all he needed to do was give it a little push. He pulled the Green Eco through, replacing it with Light. He wouldn't have to transform, and it wouldn't take too long to mend with basic channeling.

Keira gasped when she felt a pulse of warm, calming energy spread throughout her side. Any pain that had remained was hastily being diminished, and she leaned almost subconsciously into his grip. She turned her head to study his face. His eyes were still closed, and his breathing was slow and steady. He seemed completely relaxed as he focused on his task.

"Jak... what are you...?" Keira inquired.

Jak almost looked reluctant to answer, "...Light Eco..."

That's when she noticed the small, glowing white wisps dancing from his skin to hers, and she grew concerned, "I thought you needed it!? Stop!"

Jak's eyes flickered open, revealing a swirling fog of glowing white and ice blue that hadn't quite enveloped his irises completely. Keira couldn't help but stare. A mild smile played at the corners of his lips, "I have plenty..." He pulled his hand away, bringing it back up beneath his towel. He blinked, eyes returning to their normal state, "I'm finished anyway... your dad did most of the work."

Keira poked at her side, amazed that there was no lingering evidence of her injury. If anything it felt like a minor bruise, but nothing actively hurt. "That's incredible..."

Jak grunted in reply, leaning back to slump deeper into the couch. The second wind he had gotten was gone, and he suddenly felt like passing out. He could only imagine what time it was.

"Are you ok?" Keira's distressed tone drifted across his ears, and he cracked open his eyes.

"I'm... just tired. What did you want to say earlier?"

"Oh... uh..." She scratched the back of her head, growing uncharacteristically shy "I uh..."

He opened his eyes wider, focusing his attention on her. The light from the fire seemed to give her a warm glow, and he couldn't help but think about how pretty she was. Everything about her was comforting and familiar...

"I'm not afraid of you." She stated bluntly.

His eyes gave away his sudden stab of guilt, "Keira..."

"I'm not!" She insisted sternly, "I mean, yes, the Dark Eco scares me. But you? No. You think your some kind of big, scary monster. You aren't. I know you won't ever hurt me..."

"I almost killed you." Jak groaned, and her turned his attention back to the fire, unable to face her, "I..."

"No you didn't. You snapped out of it." Keira interrupted, "You were scared, and let's face it... you had kinda just gone through hell. You reacted to a nightmare, and I was dumb enough to try and shake you awake. Daxter even tried to stop me..."

"Memory." Jak corrected, clenching his eyes and turning away. He sighed quietly, "It was a memory..."

She watched for a few seconds as he withdrew into himself, bringing his knees up to his chest, pulling his towel tighter. Gently she placed a hand on his shin, and wrapped her other arm around his shoulders. His muscles tensed, "Jak... if you ever want to talk about what happened..."

"You don't want to know." Jak replied, shaking his head, "You really don't want to know what they did..."

"Probably not." She pulled a bit harder, and he seemed to react, leaning into her, "...but in a way I kinda do. I want to help you, and if that means listening so you can get it off your chest, I'm more than willing."

Jak tucked his head into his knees, reaching up with both hands to his hair line. He seemed to scratch at his scalp for a brief moment, slowly growing motionless. Eventually he let out a shudder and shook his head, "I can't..."

"That's fine too." Keira reassured him, "Whenever your ready. I'm here. I'll always be here. I love you Jak."

His head bounded up instantly, eyes widening in shock as his jaw dropped. She could feel her cheeks redden, "I uh.. I mean... no... yeah..." She huffed, steeling herself, "No. You know what? I love you Jak... and I don't ever want you to feel alone again."

Jak continued to stare blankly, unable to focus. His heart pounded against the inside of his chest, and his mind raced... "Keira...?"

"So talk to me if you need to, and stop punishing yourself..." Keira continued, flushing an even deeper shade of scarlet, "You don't have to keep secrets... Nothing you say will ever make me scared of you. I promise."

Jak didn't know what to say. His chest was tight, and his speech had abandoned him. Keira had said the three words he'd wanted to say for so long... but he was reluctant to let her get too close, unable to let go of the past. His fears played on his thoughts, and he imagined what could have happened if he didn't wake up, if he hadn't snapped out of his confusion... he could still feel her pulse in his fingertips... her lack of breath... the terrified swallow as her body trembled...

Her arm was still around his shoulders, and she felt him shift as if he was going to pull away. Keira shook her head, "Not this time. Nope. I'm not letting go." She grinned, "Stop... I can practically _see_ what your thinking about. Daxter's not the only one who can read your face, you know." Pausing, she leaned in close and rested her forehead on his shoulder, "No one blames you for struggling... there's a lot of crap going on! Even _I _get all choked up on the Dark Eco that shows up during the earthquakes, and you know I'm about as numb to Eco as they come. I can't even imagine what it's gotta feel like for you. I can't pretend like it's something I really understand... but I trust you. So please... just trust me."

Jak nodded, and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath in reply. She raised an eyebrow, and tucked a loose lock of hair behind his ear, "Don't go all quiet on me now. I always wondered what your voice would sound like when we were kids..."

He sighed, and lifted his head slightly. He'd never forgive himself for what he'd done... but he was done with the constant fight. After everything that had happened, she was till there. Still hanging on, still able to look him in the eyes and smile. She hadn't run off when she saw his scars... and hadn't run off when he lost his cool. He loved her, never wanted her to leave... and he did trust her.

She was startled slightly when she felt him slowly place a hand on the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair. He was clearly hesitant, unsure. She smiled, "Remember that time we tried to stay up and watch that meteor shower? I think I was like, ten. You were still wearing that silly hat all the time... even though your hair was getting way too long and poofy for it."

Jak leaned his head back and inhaled, the memory clear as day, "You, me and Dax snuck out to beach, and built a little fire. You brought all those blankets for us..."

"Daxter ended up stealing them all!" Keira huffed.

"Hmmm..." Jak grinned sheepishly. He remembered waking up the next morning, all three of them huddled up in a little heap. Daxter was wrapped up in all of their blankets, and they had fallen asleep before seeing a single meteor. Keira had been so upset, and Jak felt so bad that he'd spent the entire morning looking for something to cheer her up...

"I still have that seashell you gave me." Keira frowned a bit, "It got a little chipped up when we jumped through the rift gate though."

Jak was shocked... it had been so long ago, he had assumed she'd probably thrown it out long before they came to Haven. It was just a little clam shell, and they'd found tons more over the years, "You had it with you when...?"

"I used to keep it in my pack all the time." Keira admitted, "It was in my drawer when Erol attacked... I was so scared."

"You went back for the seashell?"

"It's really pretty! And it means a lot to me." She smiled, "You gave it..."

She stopped speaking when he shifted his hand, pulling her closer as he wrapped his other arm around her. His chin rested on the top of her head, "Keira, you have to promise me something..."

She tilted her head up, and he moved to look down into her eyes, "You've never seen... Keira, if I ever loose control... If I ever..." He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, "I thought I was getting better at controlling it, but now I... Sometimes the Dark Eco wins... Sometimes I'm not strong enough..."

"Jak..."

"No, Keira." Jak cut her off, squeezing her shoulder tightly, "I mean it. I know what you think, and Keira, I..." He blushed, pulling her back towards his chest, "Just promise me. If I ever... change... Run. Do whatever it takes to get away. Even if that means..." He placed a hand on the gun holster on her thigh.

"Jak!" She narrowed her eyes and pushed against his chest. One palm pressed firmly against the strange wound, and he cringed, jerking back slightly. She frowned, "Forget it. I can't shoot you!"

"You don't understand!" He hissed, bringing a palm up to cradle the throbbing ache that spread across his chest, "Keira... I love you too. I always have! If I ever... Dammit..." He clenched his teeth, the pain beneath his fingers was flaring up.

"Jak, are you ok?" Keira pushed back the towel on his shoulders before he had a chance to react. Her eyes shot up to meet his, wide and scared. The pulsing veins were stretching out beneath his fingers, and had spread enough for both wounds to meet. Part of the pattern below his heart looked as though it was wrapping around beneath his armpit, threatening to overtake his rib cage. It peaked up toward his collarbone, "Jak!?"

"I"m fine!" He insisted, reaching back to retrieve his towel.

She grunted, ripping it from his grasp and tossing it aside, "No you aren't! It's spreading! Let me see!"

"Uhhgg..." He glared, hunched over as another stab of pain shot through him, "Just... give me a minute."

She glared right back, and yanked his hand away. He growled, but didn't fight back, letting her brush the tips of her fingers across his chest, "I thought you said you weren't hurt anymore!?"

"This is different..." He explained, desperately trying to calm himself. He focused on channeling the Light Eco to stop the pain and force the creeping darkness into submission. He sighed with relief as the Eco worked it's way through his body, "I've got it under control, ok?"

Her eyes shot up, showcasing just how much she doubted his words, "We need to find a way to fix this!"

"We will..." Jak murmured, though he wasn't entirely sure he believed his own words, "After we figure out how to stop the whole 'dying world' thing... ok?" He turned away from her, "After we stop Erol."

"Promise me!" Keira demanded, tears welling up in her eyes, "Everyone is worried about you. I'm worried about you. Promise me you'll stop hiding these things!"

When he turned back to face her his heart dropped. He used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that threatened to pour. Panic began to set it... he had no idea how to handle this situation. Throw him to a pack of metal-heads, and he'd be right at home... put him in front of a crying person however... He was especially confused because it was Keira, "Ok! Ok! I promise." He would have promised to sell his kidney if it meant keeping the crying at bay, "I'm sorry! Don't cry... please don't cry..."

The mechanic nodded, sniffling slightly, "You don't have to hide things from me, Jak..."

"I know, ok? I know." He replied, pulling her back into an awkward hug, "I just didn't want to worry you..." He stroked the back of her head, breathing in the smell of her shampoo. It smelled flowery... it reminded him of Sandover. The scent overwhelmed him, and his emotions went into overdrive. He pulled her tighter, resting his head on her shoulder, "Keira... I don't want to loose you. I don't want anything to happen to you, and I promise I'll try and be more open. I'm sorry I'm such a mess, ok?" He felt her arms wrap around his waist, and he brought one hand up to cradle the back of her neck, "I'm trying... ok? I... I know I'm difficult, and you don't deserve that. You deserve so much better than me. I don't know what I'm doing. I... It's like my head is broken, and I've been trying so hard to find all the pieces..."

Keira laid one palm against his back, fingers trailing across a particularly deep scar. She hugged tighter, wishing she could make all the terrible nightmares and memories go away, "Just let me help... I want to help..."

He pulled her back slightly, cupping her chin in his fingers and lifting her gaze to meet his. There was an intense urgency shining from deep inside, "Then you have to promise me..." She frowned, about to protest. He shook his head to silence her, "Please Keira! I can't do this if I'm scared I'm going to wake up and..." His fingers twitched against her skin, and he swallowed hard, "I can't. If I ever come after you..." He pulled one of her hands to his heart. She could feel it's slow, steady beating, "Right here. You aim, and shoot. Then you run."

Keira bit her lip, "Jak..."

"Listen, I know what I'm asking. I know..." He clenched his eyes closed, and leaned his forehead against hers, "It's not fair. It's not fair of me to ask that... and believe me, I really never want it to come to that. The Light Eco _usually_ keeps it at bay. I can _usually_ resist. I'll do everything I can to prevent it..." He let out a weak sob, "... I'll fight until I drop. I'll always fight for you... but if I loose... If I ever don't recognize you..."

She felt his body shudder, and placed one warm hand against his cheek. He gripped it tightly, "Keira... look..." He pulled her fingers to his scalp, forcing them to brush against the small sharp nubs that hadn't vanished. She tensed, her eyes full of questions, "I.. I thought once I got more Light Eco they'd go away... there are other things too..." He took a deep breath, "The Dark Eco screwed my body up... It still does. I don't know what that means, or what's going to happen in the future. I don't even really feel human anymore..."

"No, Jak..."

"You need to understand what happens to me... I black out. The Dark Eco overpowers everything, and I don't remember much. Even when I'm in control it's like I'm balancing on a on a knife edge. If I fall... if I start to loose it, and I tell you to run... you run. Don't look back. And if I can't do that... If I'm not _there_ to tell you to run... you shoot. I need you to be strong enough to do that. You might not think your scared, but I am... Keira, I'm terrified."

After several agonizing seconds she finally nodded, and he breathed a deep sigh of relief. Jak felt tears leak from the corners of his eyes, but he didn't care. His mind finally gave in, and he once again ran his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head. "Thank you..." He whispered just loud enough for her to hear, then tilted his head slightly to the side, his lips meeting hers. She didn't resist, though she was clearly caught off guard. After a few seconds she returned the embrace in full, and he practically melted in her arms.  
***

Torn had just gotten through talking to Ashelin and he groaned as he joined Sig and Damas in the Palace kitchen. He'd given her a quick and dirty description of the day's events, receiving some unwanted news of his own in the process. He may have constantly tormented the ottsel, but he honestly felt horrible about what had happened. He was glad that Tess had gotten out relatively unscathed... she was an old friend of his.

Sig shoved a large, unmarked bottle into his hands, and he gladly accepted, taking a curious sniff. Whatever it was, it was strong. That was good. He wanted to sleep until noon. Taking a swig, he quickly took a moment to relay Haven's latest events.

Not long after he had finished the door creaked open, and Damas quickly rushed to pull his hood up. The soft patter of paws met their ears, and Daxter's bright orange fur came into view. The old king relaxed, once again removing his hood.

"It's just me... thought I'd give the kids some privacy..." Daxter's ears were drooped, and his unease was evident even through the toothy grin he displayed, "I'm not really into watching, if ya know what I mean."

Sig rolled his eyes, clearing a free spot on the table for his furry friend, "How you feelin Chili Pepper?"

Daxter shrugged, "Keira said Tess is fine... so I'm fine I guess..." He was obviously lying, but no one would call him on it, "What's on the menu?"

"Don't worry about it. Just drink it." Sig replied, getting up to search for a small glass for his companion. Once he returned, Torn silently poured the drink.

"I am sorry about your bar." Damas tried his hand at comfort, feeling somewhat guilty. Erol had come from his world after all... and over the course of Damas's stay he had to admit he'd grown somewhat respectful of the ottsel. His appreciation was not easily won, but Daxter had certainly done it... even if he still drove the wastelander mad at times.

"Yeah..." Daxter stared into his glass for a moment, slumping slightly, "They managed to find Jak's necklace thingy..." He gulped his alcohol loudly, "I guess that's all that was left..."

Damas looked confused for a few seconds before he realized what the ottsel was talking about, "Mar's seal..."

"Yeah. Keira brought it." Daxter replied, "I'm glad..."

Torn studied the ottsel quietly... he'd never seen Daxter so subdued, and it was a little unnerving. It was completely understandable, of course, but still seemed so out of place. He noticed that Daxter had nearly finished his glass, and didn't bother to ask before pouring him another.

"Thanks..." Daxter smiled, "Man, I like this stuff... gonna have to get some of this when..." He trailed off, "Eh, whatever."

"How is M...Jak?" Damas asked, "He seemed quite concerned over the mechanic..."

"Heh..." Daxter grinned, "He's just bein' dumb. Keira's tough. She can handle her own. I bet she'd give Kleiver a run for his money."

They all actually chucked over that, sitting somberly in the dim, abandoned kitchen. Sig leaned back, putting his feet up on the table.

"Ugh, gross!" Daxter moaned, shoving against his boots, "Ack... do you have any idea how dirty those are?"

Sig grinned playfully, "My house, my rules. I'll wipe the table down later."

Daxter stuck his tongue out "Bleh."

"Ash said Erol attacked the bar because he was looking for Jak..." Torn mentioned quietly, "Does Jak know...?"

Daxter nodded, swirling his glass as his insides began to warm, the alcohol quickly taking effect on his small frame, "He didn't like that very much... He might need a new dresser..."

Damas frowned, but stayed silent. He didn't like the idea of his son lashing out against the furniture... but understood his frustration. As a youth Damas had been quite hot-headed himself. He only hoped that with the support of his friends Jak would keep his anger in check, and not rush off to confront the cyborg. He did not want a repeat of the events that had transpired in his world.

"Ugh. I'm tired, but not tired... ya know?" Sig huffed, the chair beneath him creaking as he rocked slightly, "Tell one of your stories or something Chili Pepper... and pass the bottle."

Torn handed Sig the alcohol, as Daxter spread a toothy grin, "Alright, how about the time I single handedly held back a Dark-maker invasion?"

Torn snorted, and the two wastelander snickered loudly. Daxter continued, "Too recent? Ok, how about the time when I got turned from a perfectly dashing and handsome teenager... into an equally dashing and handsome ottsel?"  
***

Daxter crept unevenly back into Jak's room, trying and failing to stay as quiet as possible as he jumped up to pull on the handle, glad that they hadn't latched it shut. He knew perfectly well they wouldn't be up to any funny business... but that wouldn't stop him from implying it.

The room was dim, the only light coming from a small, crackling fire in the hearth. He saw Keira's shadowed outline as his eyes adjusted. She was at one end of the love seat, slumped with her head leaning back. He wondered for a few seconds why she wasn't laying down, then noticed Jak was curled up next to her, his head in her lap. He was in a deep sleep, his forehead against her stomach. One of Keira's hands rested in the crook between his shoulder and neck, fingers entwined lightly in his hair. The other was draped over the side of the seat, hanging limply toward the ground.

Daxter stumbled and swayed toward them, shushing himself loudly with each noise he made. Jak didn't stir as he approached, but Keira did. Her eyes fluttered open, and she dropped her head to gaze at him. She looked slightly confused at her surroundings, but once she got her bearings she whispered, "Daxter?"

"Shhhh..." Daxter replied, a smug grin overtaking his features, "Don't... Don't wake sleeping beauty there..."

Keira narrowed her eyes, but kept her voice low, "Are you drunk?"

Daxter scratched the back of his head, "Not as much as I want to be..."

The mechanic rolled her yes, moving her free arm toward him, "Come on. Get up here..."

Daxter snorted, using her arm to support himself as he climbed up, "Aren't we a little old for cuddling...?" He didn't actually seem to be objecting, simply stating a fact. He carefully climbed over Jak, nestling himself between the young warrior's chest, and the back of the couch. The ottsel's head rested against Keira's side, and he shuffled slightly to get comfortable.

"So what. I don't care." Keira answered wearily, and Daxter thought he saw tears well up in her eyes, "I don't care. I miss this."

Daxter nodded, turning his eyes toward Jak. He frowned when he noticed the vein like patterns that had spread further across his chest. His voice was barely audible, "What the hell...?"

Keira frowned, pulling her hand free from Jak to give the ottsel's shoulder a careful squeeze. His concerned eyes danced back up to her, and he saw a single tear streak slowly down her cheek, "I know..." Her voice cracked ever so slightly. She pulled her hand away, putting it back where it was, and Jak let out a small, unconscious murmur as he shifted slightly. He didn't wake however, and Daxter curled up against his two old friends, quickly drifting into an uneasy sleep.

***  
"Uh... are you sure about this?" Vin's voice echoed uneasily off the walls of the dim computer room. His spider-bot was connected to an large Eco grid terminal. Samos was sitting in a chair next to him, hunched over a small, brightly lit monitor, and Ashelin leaned heavily against another terminal to his right, arms crossed. It was late, and she was incredibly tired... but when Samos had told her what he wanted to do she grew curious. She had no intention of sticking around for the nitty gritty details, but wanted to see if the Sage actually followed through. Part of her felt like it was a serious invasion of her friend's privacy. The other part of her thought the sage needed to see it, needed to understand.

"Yes." The sage replied, turning a quick glance to the bot at his side, "I want to know."

"I've come across a few of the records on accident..." Vin's voice was quiet, and his bot almost seemed to pace uncomfortably, "They're... not pleasant. I ended up blocking them from my memory."

"I would imagine not..." Samos sighed, stroking his beard.

"My father apparently kept very in depth reports..." Ashelin spoke up, turning her head to glance down at an empty monitor, "I almost got rid of them... I don't really wanna poke into it too much, it's not really my place. But I thought that the information might be useful one day if Jak ever needed it... I mean, he knows what happened, but if he ever needed the..." She paused, trying to decide what the proper word would be, "... _science..._ behind it."

"Ok... here we go... Uh... There are both text and video records. They go together in groups, and go all the way back to the day he was... oh... it says 'the day that the subject was procured.' Where do you want to start?" Vin asked.

"I suppose at the beginning." The sage focused his gaze on the monitor as a short, but informative text file appeared. In the corner of the screen was a small window that showcased security feeds from the day they came through the rift. There was a flash of light... and there Jak was. He stood, obviously confused, trying to determine where he was. Within just a few seconds a large group of guards had him surrounded, and Erol strolled into view...

* * *

**Author's note: **That's all for tonight. Thanks for reading, and thanks again for leaving the reviews!

Also, if anyone is interested in the little beach scene Keira and Jak talk about in this chapter, I've drawn it up and put it on my tumblr.


	13. Chapter 12

**Author's notes: **Hello everyone, sorry for the long wait. I struggled pretty hard with this chapter, so It's been edited to hell and back. I was also promoted to a completely new position at work that's requiring a lot of messes left by the last person to be fixed. Overtime for the win!

LunaRoseDragon: Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like it. I think all the characters should have their chances to be awesome, and none of them deserve to be demoted to useless background. I have no plans on dropping the story until it's finished. I'm way too invested at this point haha.

Kaydence: Hello, thanks for the review! As for the jargon... It's a combination of an actual interest in mechanical engineering, and complete bull... lol. I hope that doesn't make you think less of me :)

Guest who I think is Katpet? If not hello guest!: Haha, thanks again for the enthusiastic review. I tend to write Jak a little more soft than some people do I think... but come on, he's got every freaking reason to be. He's been crapped on by everyone! You can't tell me all the bullcrap he's been through wouldn't mess him up something fierce.

Joe: No worries, story isn't being abandoned. Like I said above, just been busy with work. It might please you to know that the next chapter will probably be posted either later today or tomorrow as well, due to this one originally running way... way too long (20,000 words!) so I split it in two!

CHAPTER 12

* * *

"I do not understand… hmmm," Seem stood, staring intently at Jak's bare chest. He fidgeted uncomfortably, but didn't resist her observations. She brought her fingers up to brush against his skin, and he instinctively jerked away. There was a brief moment of awkward silence between the two before Jak took a deep breath.

"You're not gonna do whatever you did before, are you?" The youth asked, using one hand to conceal his chest protectively. He definitely did not want to be shocked and knocked off his feet again.

The monk shook her head, "No… I must admit something, your High…"

"Jak."

Her stoic look soured slightly, but she continued, "Jak. When I sensed the Light Eco in your wound before, I attempted to channel it out. It was… unsuccessful."

"No kidding!" Jak replied sarcastically. He knew that Seem had at least a primary grasp on Light Eco channeling, so he wasn't entirely shocked, "Why didn't you just tell me that's what you were going to do?"

"I was not entirely sure I was right." She confessed, "The mere idea of corrupted Light Eco is… If I had not sensed it myself and had it not reacted so poorly, I would still remain unconvinced." She paused, her brow scrunching slightly as she wondered if she should continue, "I mean no disrespect, but you were also quite disagreeable. I could sense the hold your Dark Eco had taken and I was eager to make an assessment without resistance. I apologize for the deception."

The youth frowned. He may have been annoyed, but he knew she was right. If she had told him what she was attempting, he probably would have refused and lashed out. At least now he was in a more stable state of mind, even despite the recent circumstances.

Jak and Seem were standing in his bedroom, talking quietly. Keira, Daxter, and Damas were in the living area, curiously observing the interaction through a cracked door. It was about lunch time, everyone having agreed to a late start. Torn was procuring transport to Haven, while Sig was tied up settling some of his royal duties. It was decided that Damas should stay out of the public eye, which is why he was in Jak's room. They knew their situation was desperate, but they all wanted to make sure they were fully prepared for the trip to the Precursor machine, and the inevitable show down with Erol.

Keira cracked her neck loudly, her body was still a bit sore from sleeping upright. She couldn't help but stare curiously at the monk. Seem was about the closest thing she'd seen in a while to the more eccentric of the Sandover villagers, and even then she pushed the envelope. The mechanic couldn't help but wonder how the monk kept her makeup, or paint, or whatever it was from smudging and running during the hot desert days.

Seem shook her head and said something that was inaudible to the group, and Jak's demeanor changed. Anger flashed across his face, and his voice echoed through the room, "I can't!" He noticed how loud he was being, and his tone dropped. Several seconds later he appeared to cut her off with a wave of his hand. The young warrior replaced his shirt, and stomped out of the room. Seem followed dejectedly at his heals.

"Jak?" Keira gently asked, his frustration clearly evident. She stood, placing a hand on his arm, "You ok?"

He had a nasty look that he fought to suppress before he turned to face her, "Peachy. Right as Rain…"

Seem narrowed her crimson eyes, "You most certainly are _not."_

He turned to glare at her, "I feel fine."

"That does not mean that you actually are." She intended to make his condition known. If he insisted on rejecting his title and royal duties, then she had no qualms with disobeying his wishes.

"Ok, Spit it out." Daxter pestered, "What's up with the creepy purple gunk you got all trapped up in there?"

Jak grumbled, pulling free from Keira's grasp. He slumped down into the sofa, and used one hand to cover his eyes. He didn't like all of the attention, and felt like he was being attacked on all sides, "We don't have time for this… Don't we have a world to save or something?"

"You promised." Keira reminded him, placing a hand on her hip and cocking it defiantly.

Jak peaked one eye between his fingers to glance at her. He couldn't help but think about how he loved when she stood like that, all confidence and control. His reply was snippy, but it was clearly dripping with sarcasm, "Yeah, and I'm kinda beginning to regret that decision."

"Jak!" Keira kicked his boot and frowned, while Daxter rolled his eyes.

"I dunno. Ask her." Jak mumbled, waving a hand in the Monk's direction.

Everyone took turns giving him dirty looks, but Seem took it as an invitation to explain, "I must admit that it is only an assumption. I have never seen anything like this before, and both Light and Dark Eco still hold many mysteries from us…"

"Just get on with it." Damas demanded, growing impatient. He was eager to know what was wrong with the boy… well, besides everything they already knew. His elbows rested on his knees, and he had his fingers crossed in front of his chin.

"As I stated before, there is corrupted Light Eco in the wound. I do not know how Erol managed to manipulate it so, but It appears as though there is some type of Dark Eco that is feeding on and changing the Light Eco in his system into something… else." She paused, gathering her thoughts, "It will continue to spread as long as he has Light Eco within him, though channeling seems to hasten the process."

"How do we stop it?" Keira asked, turning a concerned glance on Jak.

"I do not have a definitive answer…" Seem also turned her much more emotionless eyes toward the young warrior who was busy avoiding everyone's attention, "I have suggested…"

"Not gonna happen." Jak coldly interrupted, "Don't even bother."

"Prince Mar…" Seem calmly continued, only to be instantly cut off.

"Don't start that shit with me, Seem!" Jak growled, his eyes darkening slightly. He sat up, hands clenching to fists. He was quickly growing tired of the conversation.

"Woah woah, calm down hotshot." Daxter waved his hand in front of his friend's face, "What's the big deal? What's she want you to do?"

"I am also curious." Damas added, "We should consider all viable solutions."

Jak's anger continued to flare, "It's not a viable solution."

"Just spit it out already, sheesh!" Daxter huffed, "Then we can all take a chill pill and talk about it like not so reasonable adults!"

Jak snorted, and Seem took the opportunity to continue, "Even I do no particularly like this idea, but I feel it would at least hinder the corruption's progress and give us more time. It is a theory." She paused, choosing to ignore the menacing stare Jak was directing at her, "I suggest he expel the remaining free Light Eco in his body."

"That would fix the problem?" Keira asked curiously.

"No. I simply believe it would halt the progression of the damage." Seem answered, "It is the only thing I can think of until we understand more."

"Remove the fuel for the fire, so to speak..." Damas stroked his chin, leaning forward in his chair.

"I don't believe you're even considering this!" Jak yelled, jumping to his feet, "I _can't!"_

Damas shook his head at the youth, and narrowed his eyes. He could certainly see why Jak was so adamant, having witnessed the effects that a lack of Light Eco had on his body. He also didn't like the idea that their nearly disastrous trek into the temple would have been for nothing. Still, if it was a means to an end, it may as well be considered. He was mostly agitated by how defiant the boy was being. The old king straightened his back, and challenged, "Can't, or won't?"

Jak's anger flashed from Seem to Damas. His fingers curled tighter, knuckles whitening further, "Both."

While Daxter was obviously concerned for his best friend's health, he understood better than anyone what would happen if Jak did what Seem suggested, "I'm with Jak on this one guys… that's a really bad idea."

"But if it'll help…" Keira suggested, "Maybe…"

Jak exhaled loudly, trying and failing to keep his anger under control. He directed his eyes toward her and hissed, "No." She backed away slightly at his harsh tone.

"Calm yourself." Damas stood, eager to draw Jak's animosity away from the mechanic.

The youth slowly looked back and forth between his friends, eyes falling judgmentally on each one in turn. "You know what, I'm outta here. You guys can keep on chatting about this all you want. Call me when it's time to leave." He shoved his way past Keira, only to have his shoulder grasped tightly by Damas. Jak yanked himself free, turning fiercely toward the wastelander. He carelessly let a small, crackling bolt of Dark Eco dance across his chest, "You... just don't."

Without another word he slammed his way through the door, not bothering to shut it behind him. His hasty footsteps echoed loudly down the hall as he stomped his way out of the palace.

Damas made to follow, but let out a loud, startled cry as Daxter climbed expertly to his shoulder and latched tightly to his ear, "Heeeyy no, bad idea. Bad idea…."

The wastlander tried to swat the unwanted passenger away, but Daxter simply shifted to his other shoulder, "Just give him a little bit of time to cool down. Everyone needs to just calm the heck down."

"He has no reason to lash out like that!" Damas barked, still fuming.

"Yeeaahh…" Daxter hunched, shaking his head, "You guy's still really don't understand what you just asked him to do."

"It was a discussion, not a decision. We should address all options. He should explain _why_ it isn't a solution, rather than attacking those who are trying to help."

"...aannnd your gonna go ahead and tell me you weren't egging him on?" Daxter raised a brow.

Damas glared, "I was not."

"Yeah, uh huh, ok." Daxter sighed, "You've actually seen him go all dark and slashy, and you still don't get it... "

Damas stood still for a moment, thinking back to the few times he had seen Jak lose control. The fear that had filled his son's eyes... They had been told, shown even, that Jak needed the Light Eco to function. He knew that, but was simply being bullheaded. Everything that had been happening had left him at his wits end, and he was just as disagreeable as Jak was. He suddenly felt foolish, "Perhaps I was somewhat confrontational."

"Ya think?" Daxter mocked, "Give him a bit, then I'll show you where he is..."  
***

Jak sat with his back against the craggy outcrop, rubbing his wrists roughly as he stared out over the choppy water. He had run off in such a huff that he hadn't retrieved his gloves, and now he was starting to feel self-conscious about the deep scars and discolored skin that reminded him of events he really didn't care to remember. He knew the itchy feeling was all in his head, even his newest wounds were all healed over, but he couldn't help but scratch.

He was unsettled and slowly growing more stressed. He knew he had overreacted… he felt bad about that… but there was no way he would do what Seem had suggested. He didn't want to explain himself, didn't want to try and make them understand what it was like, even if he knew he was going to have to. He just didn't know how. He didn't know how to explain to someone else when he didn't quite understand it all himself.

Then there was Keira. Jak knew she wanted to help, wanted to know what happened in the two years he was absent from her life… but how could he tell her? Would digging the memories back up even actually help? There were things he didn't even tell Daxter. A lot of what the ottsel knew came from witnessing Jak's sleepless nights and bouts of rage fueled insanity. There were times, back before the Light Eco, back when he had just escaped from the prison, that Jak had completely lost touch with reality. He'd broken down and rambled, confessing things to his best friend he had refused to confess to himself. There were moments when the only thing keeping him from hurting himself or others was Daxter's voice, and the familiar weight on his shoulder.

Over time he'd gotten better at controlling his outbursts, his anger… Daxter had been instrumental to that. Daxter had kept him tied to the conscious world, even when Jak thought there was no way things could be real. His small, furry friend never once shied away from him, even when the Dark Eco forced itself free. Jak had woken up more than once covered in blood and gore, deep in some alleyway or sewer with no recollection of how he'd gotten there… but Daxter was always at his side to make an inappropriate joke or complaint, then assure him that everything was ok.

Back then he could feel the Dark Eco slowly eating away at him from the inside… the Precursors had even told him, through and Oracle of course, that it was going to kill him… yet they still infused him with more, still gave him the terrible powers that he quickly mastered. It was a horrible thing… his broken and altered body needed the Dark Eco to survive, but it also slowly tore him apart.

It wasn't until he'd first been reintroduced to Light Eco that the torment and pain began to fade. Even the fear and concern in Daxter's eyes began to disappear as Jak slowly regained more and more control of his mind. The Dark Eco had never gone away, but the balance was something he could handle. When either force became overbearing, he could reach out to the opposite and pull it forward to even everything out. The Light Eco even made it easier to actually use the Dark Eco without going overboard… he could access the strength and abilities it gave him without completely loosing himself to the anguish and power. But like the Dark, the Light Eco was part of him now. He was physically changed to need it… and it was a lot harder to come by.

When everything had finally calmed down, when the Dark Makers and Erol had originally been defeated two years ago… he'd finally been able to relax and focus on himself. Even he knew his latent abilities only continued to expand. He'd never been able to sense and manipulate the Eco to such a degree he could now… and in a way that somewhat frightened him. It meant he was still changing… but he had felt… well, ok. Even as it got harder and harder to find and absorb Light Eco he had managed to keep control, managed to learn a lot more about his powers and limitations. He had started to make sense of his jumbled mind. He even had friends- a small group, but he had started to trust them and realize they weren't just using him. He was so desperate to keep them that he had been determined to hide his personal issues.

Then all at once everything came crashing down. The overabundance of Dark Eco that seeped into their world from the decaying one overwhelmed him. At first it wasn't noticeable… it wasn't until the earthquakes had really started to damage the world that he began to realize and react to it. Even then he may have had a chance if Erol hadn't returned. He had at least been able to fight and resist until the maniac did… whatever he had done. His friends acted like they understood, but he knew they didn't. How could they? Part of him still felt like it was only a matter of time before they abandoned him, deeming him to much trouble to bother with… and he wouldn't blame them.

The Light Eco in his system now certainly helped. It soothed everything over, and pushed back against the darkness. He knew something was still wrong, but didn't want to accept that Seem's theory was most likely correct. It just unnerved him that he couldn't feel it. If his Light Eco was being corrupted, why couldn't he sense it? Why had Seem been able to sense the Light Eco in his wound when he hadn't… when he had clearly burned through everything he had? He couldn't feel his pool of Eco diminishing past what he had recently used himself… but the corruption was supposedly constant.

His skull still had remnants of his horns hidden beneath his thick locks of hair. His spine had strange protrusions that he never had before. No one else had noticed that his elbows had small scattered bumps beneath the surface of his skin, and his teeth were sharper. He shuddered… even his senses hadn't completely returned to normal. Daxter didn't' want to admit it, but Jak knew he was slowly changing into something similar to what Gol had become… only much more uncontrollable.

The skin on his arms was turning red from his constant scratching. He sighed, bringing his fingers to run absentmindedly through his hair. He was grateful to be hidden from everyone's view. He and Daxter had found this little outcrop a while back, and it was fairly secluded. It took some careful footwork to reach, but offered a pretty unobstructed view of the ocean, and some much wanted privacy.

There was no doubt that Daxter knew exactly where he was and would follow him as soon as he calmed the others down. Jak groaned… he hated the fact that his best friend had to act as a liaison to his friends… had to clean up his messes. He brought his arms back down and closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds of the waves crashing up against the rocks, and the smell of the saltwater and seaweed... The breeze had picked up considerably, which meant a storm was probably coming.

He found himself rubbing his arms again when he heard Daxter's voice echo in the distance, "Right there... yeah, now jump!"

Jak's ears twitched, and his lips pulled into a thin, tight grimace. Daxter had someone else with him. There was a shuffle, a low thump, and then another voice rang out, "Damn these infernal cliffs."

Damas. Jak didn't really want to see anyone at the moment, and everything involving Damas was just overwhelming.

"Well, the old man's persistent." Jak whispered to himself, leaning back against the rock. He wouldn't be able to escape without passing them in his normal form, and if Seem was right, then transforming wasn't a good idea either. He let out a deep sigh and stared blankly back out over the sea.  
***

Samos's head was buried in his hands, forehead pressed against the console. Ashelin had left not long after they began. She had explicitly stated she had no interest in invading Jak's privacy. Vin's spider-bot was still present, but the construct had disabled his link to the videos, blocking them from his view and memory... for all intents and purposes the Sage was alone. He had read and watched so much already, but the records almost seemed never ending.

At first things started off fairly mild... or well, as mild as imprisonment and torture could be, and Samos thought he had prepared himself for the worst. He quickly realized he had grossly underestimated what the worst actually was. At this point he strongly suspected he hadn't even seen it yet. After seeing how quickly Praxis and Erol's methods had escalated, he could only imagine how far they had taken things by the time Jak had escaped.

The worst part was that he felt like with each passing video he was watching the Jak he used to know die. At first the boy had fought, determined and strong. It didn't take long for that to change. Instead of confidence and hope, Jak lashed out with anger and sheer violence. They had done so many brutal things, unspeakable, twisted things... It got worse still as Jak actually lost the physical strength to fight back however, and the guards had taken to beating him before each session rather than quickly strapping him down. They only ever healed him if the damage they inflicted was life threatening, and not long into the procedures it was evident that Jak's body had begun to reject Green Eco more and more. It still healed enough to keep him alive, but it was clear they began to use that as another way to torment the child. The Sage had literally watched as his channeling abilities crumbled away. They clearly only fed him just enough, the prison clothes hanging loosely from his malnourished frame. Samos suddenly wondered if it had even stunted his growth somewhat... Jak was actually surprisingly short. Nearly everyone save for himself and Daxter actually stood taller than he did, and the two of them had extenuating circumstances to cause their smaller statures.

He skipped ahead several documents and videos, landing on one that was labeled 'Day 473.' It had an accompanying medical document that the Sage ignored, knowing it would just be a detailed description of the 'procedures' that he was about to witness. Samos sighed, and pressed play.

_The room was dim and empty save for a small squad of guards that were escorting the youth across the platform. In the center sat the familiar metal slab that would hold as their operating table. One guard forced the boy forward against his will. Jak struggled as much as he could muster before being slammed face first against a corner of the slab. Blood oozed from a gash that cracked right through his eyebrow and across his forehead toward his temple. He was instantly dazed, which gave one guard an opportunity to taze him. After a slew of cheap shots... blows coming from armored, full grown adults against an unarmed, nearly unclothed teenager, they finally heaved him up onto the table. Instead of laying him on his back, they rolled him onto his stomach and strapped his legs down. His arms were shackled to his sides. _

_He was still completely motionless when Erol came into view... his cocky swagger made the Sage's eyes narrow with rage. Two other men, scientists by the look of it, followed quickly on his heels wheeling in a strange, sterile looking machine._

_Erol strolled up to the table and grabbed a handful of Jak's hair. Blood poured heavily out of the open gash on his brow, "What!? Who did this?! I told you he needed to be conscious!" The commander yanked hard, "Wake up you little freak! We've got something new for you today."_

_Jak let out a small cry, a sound that started the Sage immensely. While he had yet to say any discernible words in any of the videos he had watched, he had definitely become more vocal. _

_Erol grinned, roughly shoving Jak's face against the cold metal below him. The youth struggled weakly against his bindings, completely in vain. The commander motioned for the scientists, who immediately went to work. One man injected several vials of something or other into the boy's neck, and several seconds later he was deathly still. The only things that he could move were his eyes._

"_Oh, I'm truly sorry for this..." Erol goaded, having the nerve to stroke Jak's hair. It made Samos's skin crawl, and if he could have he would have reached right through the monitor to strangle the demented man, "This might sting slightly. You see, we need to see how your nerves and brain react to this particular procedure, so we need you awake... but, you know..." Erol shrugged, "There's just no way for us to gather the information we need if we numbed you to the pain._

_The second scientist removed a strange syringe like tool and promptly began inserting what looked like thick, hollow metal pins between each of Jak's vertebra. With each incision the boy's face would wince, and his eyes clenched tighter. They went all the way up to the base of his skull, the final pin inserted considerably deeper than the rest. Small trickles of blood bubbled from the incisions._

"_We need to get the Dark Eco to fuse with your nervous system. So far you've been absorbing it... and while that's progress compared to all the other... volunteers... my doctors assure me this is necessary to get the results we need... you understand, don't you?" Erol smirked. He clearly enjoyed every minute of what he was doing, "Just think, a little monster like you might actually save all of Haven. Just don't die before then, ok?"_

_The first scientist returned, attaching clear tubes to each pin. Jak's eyes went wide with fear as he realized exactly what they were about to do._

_Erol activated the machine and the tubes instantly filled with thick, glowing purple liquid. Tiny crackling bolts of Dark Eco danced along the outsides occasionally as the twisted substance flowed into Jak's body._

_The boy didn't scream, but tears poured freely from his pain filled eyes. This went on for a few minutes before the power in the room seemed to flicker, and Erol's attention was drawn toward the lighting above him, "What the hell is the problem?"_

_Jak's body suddenly twisted violently, and his head snapped hard against the iron slab. In the next second the power in the room had gone completely out. There was sounds of a struggle, followed by a loud crack, and when the lights returned Samos was shocked to see Jak was no longer strapped to the table but was several feet away on his knees, ripping forcefully at the unnatural tubing that had invaded his body. Dark Eco splashed everywhere, pooling on the floor around him and burning his skin. Blood seeped from his wounds. _

"_I thought you said he was paralyzed!" Erol's screech drowned out the panicked voices of the scientists, who were scrambling to avoid the splattering Dark Eco, "Who tied him down? Who is the dumb-ass who screwed up his shackles!?"_

_Jak shoved quickly away from his pursuers, pulling himself weakly across the cold floor. He didn't make it far before his body betrayed him and he stumbled forward, catching himself on one hand. His other hand instantly went to his skull, gripping painfully at the hair near his temple. It was a little hard to see, but it looked as though blood had begun to seep from the boy's ears and nose. _

_Then he screamed. It was the worst sound the Sage had ever heard._

Samos's eyes clenched shut, and his hand quickly made it's way to turn off the monitor. He couldn't take anymore, "Vin...?" His voice was quiet and uneasy. He almost felt like he was going to be sick.

The spider-bot sprang to life, "Uh.. yeah. I'm here."

"I'm done. You can shut it off. Just... shut it off."

Vin instantly complied, severing his connection to the terminal, "Ok. Um, are you ok?"

Samos shook his head and pushed himself out of his seat, "Tired Vin. Just tired. What time is it?"

"Noon."

"What!?" Samos jerked his head toward the bot, "Have... have we heard from the others yet?"

"Yes. Uh Torn contacted Ashelin last night. He said they got the Light Eco for Jak... and that it looks like he's doing better. Uh, I guess they also know where the precursor device is. They should be here in a few hours."

"That's... That's good. Good..."

"Samos?"

"I think I'm going to go lie down... Notify me if anything comes up, or when they arrive please." The Sage shuffled uncomfortably, taking one last glance at the inactive monitor. He sighed deeply and trudged slowly out of the room.  
***

Keira had wandered around the palace for a bit while she tried to clear her head. Jak had left in a huff, and Daxter and Damas had gone to find him. She had wanted to go, but decided it might be best to try and give him a little space. There was still so much she didn't know, and the mechanic wondered if she had said anything that set him off. She was pissed off too… Jak had promised to be more open, to let her help, but it seemed like he was just pushing her away again.

She sighed. She knew that it was more complicated than that. It wasn't fair of her to expect him to just start gushing. She had to be patient… but that didn't mean she couldn't still be ticked.

She rounded a corner a little too fast and smacked directly into a large armored body, the owner gave a bit of an oomph, then quickly grabbed her shoulders to catch her before she fell, "Whoa there sweetheart, I got ya."

She recognized the voice instantly, and her gaze shot up to meet his, "Sorry Sig… I wasn't paying attention."

"You don't say?" Sig smiled, then looked past her into the empty hallway, "Where's Jak and the Chili Pepper?"

Her annoyed eye roll suggested her current annoyance with the youth, and Sig let out a chuckle, "Got under your skin?"

"Yeah…" Keira sighed, "You need help with anything? I've just been walking around…"

"I was just finishing up. Gonna grab some grub, if you wanna come?" The wastelander gave her a friendly pat on the back, "Get you some real food, not that fancy, tasteless Haven junk."

Keira's stomach growled at the mention of food, and she blushed slightly… she hadn't eaten since breakfast the previous day, "Yeah, ok."

Together they made their way up to the kitchens, pausing a few times as a random monk or wastelander vied for Sig's attention. When they finally made it, Keira was starving.

There were a few workers in the kitchen who gave the King respectful nods but otherwise continued unhindered in their duties. Sig helped himself to whatever it was they were cooking, and pulled a couple of stools up to an old, heavy table, inviting the mechanic to sit.

Whatever it was that was laid out in front of her looked hearty. It reminded her of an extra thick soup, with chunks of meat and vegetables dripping in strong spices. It tasted better than it smelled, and she was surprised to find out that she really, really enjoyed it. Sig passed her a chunk of stiff bread, and she used it to mop up the extra liquid in her dish. Her mood was quickly improving.

Sig seemed to notice and he passed her a pitcher of cold water, "So what's the Cherry done now to rile your feathers so much."

Keira swallowed, and slowly shook her head, "He's just being… Jak."

Sig snickered, waving over to one of the cooks to bring them more bread.

The mechanic had a sudden thought, and turned to look up at the wastelander sitting across from her. Maybe he could answer some of the questions Jak wouldn't, "Hey…"

The king cocked his head slightly, not missing the curious tone in Keira's voice. Something told him he might not like what she was about to ask.

"You've fought with Jak before…"

"Loads of times."

She hesitated for a moment, then shoved more food in her mouth to disguise her discomfort, "You've seen him… change... before, right? Or whatever he does… I've only heard people talk about it, and he…"

Sig's usual upbeat smile dropped and he shook his head to silence her. He looked back at the workers, who were no doubt eavesdropping in on their conversation about the young Prince... which was very quickly becoming a very private conversation, "Ok guys, clear out for a bit. I'll clean up."

They looked disappointed, but wouldn't dare defy their King. Neither were in the mood for an Arena challenge at the moment, so they slowly shuffled out of the room.

Sig turned back to look Keira in the eye, "You really gotta watch what you say about Jak around here." He explained, "Most everyone knows who he is, and that makes 'em real curious. Let the rumors stay rumors."

Keira flushed, her head drooping slightly between her shoulders, "Sorry, I didn't realize…"

"To answer your question, yeah, I have." Sig replied, "But… I really don't think we should be talkin' about this."

"I just want to know what happens. He's scared to tell me."

The wastelander sighed, unable to resist her downtrodden moping. It was probably his fault for asking what Jak had done anyway, "Yeah… Listen..." He scratched the back of his head, and leaned forward so that he could speak more quietly, "I know you're curious and all, but you really, really should talk to Jak about it, not me. Kid's crazy about you… He'll open up eventually."

She groaned, exhaling loudly through her nose, "Yeah, but his dad and that Seem girl already pissed him off and chased him away earlier, and I'm still mad at him and I don't want to talk to him right now…" She stopped and shook her head, "He told me last night that he loses control sometimes and that I should run away… then he said I should shoot him! How can I just agree to that without knowing what actually happens?"

Sig let out a quiet whistle, "Uh huh. I know you don't want to hear this… but he's right."

"What!?" She looked shocked, then angry, "Are you saying you'd just shoot him!?"

The wastelander straightened his back, deciding to be honest with her, "If I thought I could get away, I would definitely just run, and I ain't ashamed to say that. I honestly ain't seen nothing that scares me as much as being up close and personal with his mean side. I'd only shoot him as a last resort… it's life or death. It almost came to that once. I was stuck in a room with him, and he was definitely not all in there…" He tapped his temple to indicate what he meant, "He was hurt… and very, very pissed off. It was gonna him or me. Now how do you think he'd feel if he woke up next to his friend's dead corpse, their blood all over his hands? If you were in that position, how would you feel?"

Keira thought hard for a moment, "I guess I would rather it be me too… but I… "

"Listen. I don't really understand what happens to him. I've only seen it a few times, and still have a hard time swallowing it. Sometimes I think he's there… but…." He sighed, "If it makes you feel better I'm not even sure shooting him would take him down. So if it comes to it, you shoot. You shoot, and you run."

Keira's eyes grew sad as she fumbled with her spoon, "That's exactly what Jak said..."  
***

"You sure he'll be here?" The wastelander questioned skeptically as he leaned hard against a rock to support his weight. They were traversing a slightly unstable path that was scattered among the rocky outcrops at Spargus's ocean boarder. He couldn't help but wonder how or why Jak and Daxter had ever decided to explore this route in the first place. The wind had picked up considerably, coating the hand and footholds in a thin layer of ocean mist.

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep going." Daxter waved him on with a lazy paw at the air, "We're almost there."

Damas shuffled carefully around a corner, cringing as part of the ledge crumbled slightly under his heel. He pulled himself around, pressing his back up against the wall, and continued to scoot onward. After a few more harrowing steps the ground evened, and opened up to shallow cave of sorts. He stopped to take a quick breather, eager to get his bearings. Glancing back and forth, he was relieved when he finally caught sight of the boy he had come all this way to find.

Jak was sitting with his back against the rock of a small sheltered ledge a short distance above him, staring blankly out over the ocean. The wastelander stepped forward and away from the edge of the cliff before calling up, "Mar!"

The youth twitched slightly at the name, his frame stiff. He chose to ignore the wastelander.

Damas frowned, quickly growing annoyed with the immature disrespect. He reminded himself to keep calm, "I… Jak. I simply wish to speak to you. Would you please come down here?"

Jak hesitated for a few seconds, before a cocky smirk crept through his features. He remained staring off into the distance as he spoke, "I'm pretty comfortable up here..."

The old king glared, "Do not patronize me boy!"

Jak's irises shifted to steal a quick peek at the fuming wastelander, "No skin off my teeth. You could just stand there and shout at me, but that might draw some attention your way…" He lowered his voice a bit, but the tone remained as antagonistic as ever, "…_your highness…_"

"Jak, stop being an ass!" Daxter yelled, scrambling down from his perch. He took a few steps forward and lectured, "Give him a break, he's old! He's not as fit as you are…"

"Excuse me?!" Damas snarled in indignation as he looked down at the ottsel. He was quickly growing impatient with the two troublemakers.

"Eh, oh, sorry." Daxter shirked slightly, scratching absently at the back of his head "But well…"

Jak's snicker drifted across the wastelander's ears, and he shifted his glare back up to the youth, "FINE."'

Damas took a confident step forward and leapt across a small chasm that gave way to the crashing sea below. The sand and rock shifted slightly, and he had to use one hand to balance himself against the cliff wall. Once he had regained his footing he looked up, and noticed that Jak had tilted his head slightly to glance down on him in amusement.

"Wipe that smug look off your face." Damas demanded, as he gripped at the rock wall that lead to Jak's precious hiding place, "Or I swear I will have Sig throw you to the Arena."

Jak leaned back and out of view, "Bring it on."

Damas growled quietly to himself as he climbed, trying to decide if simply strangling the youth would suffice. He grunted as his hand clenched around the edge, and heaved himself up and over. Jak shuffled himself out of the way to give the wastelander space, but didn't offer to help.

Damas pulled himself so that he was seated next to Jak, his larger frame hunched slightly as he leaned back against the cliff. He shot an angry glare in the youth's direction, only to be caught off guard when he noticed how disheveled and withdrawn he actually looked. Jak scratched uncomfortably at the deep grooves across his wrists and hands, and Damas realized that he was probably unaware that he was actually doing it... it was a nervous tick. The wastelander's anger began to vanish, replaced with a mild sense of fatherly concern that he forced himself to conceal. To distract himself he decided to take in his surroundings. The little shallow cave was actually fairly spacious, all things considered, and the remnants of an old fire suggested that Jak and Daxter had spent quite a bit of time here in the past. It gave a fairly nice view, with small scattered sandbars in the distance catching the sun's light. It wasn't hot: the breeze and mist from the saltwater waves kept the entire area a cool, comfortable temperature. The noise from the city was nearly non-existent, and Damas suspected that even if someone was standing on the cliffs directly above them, their voices would be completely drowned out to prying ears. The dangerous route meant that their position was quite fortified, with very little chance of being snuck up on. It was almost certain that Jak had known they were coming from a pretty fair distance.

Daxter's voice carried up over the cliff, "I'm gonna leave you two alone to discuss your tender feelings and all that Jazz. I'm starving. Just don't kill each other."

Jak shot an alarmed look toward the retreating ottsel just as his tail disappeared around the bend. He really didn't want to have to deal with anyone at the moment, let alone Damas.

The old king tried not to stare as he gathered his thoughts. It was his chance to finally speak to his son, the lull between missions actually allowing them a brief time to be alone. He was still somewhat aggravated with the boy, but knew that he would have to keep his emotions in check if he truly wanted to gain the insight he so desperately craved.

What could he say? The circumstances that surrounded them were so absurd and convoluted that it made any chance at a _normal_ conversation nearly impossible. Even had they not been from different worlds, the truth of their relationship was completely unbelievable. Kidnapping, time travel, torture, the Dark Maker invasion… then there was their counterpart's deaths… How could anyone possibly accept that as mundane? Yet despite it all, the wastelander wanted to try. What had the ottsel said it was? A second chance?

Damas let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back, "I apologize for being so inconsiderate earlier."

Jak avoided his gaze, still rubbing his wrists uncomfortably. His posture suggested that he was surprised with the apology. "It's fine. I'm just not really used to the whole show and tell thing… I don't…" The boy smirked to himself cleverly, "Talking was never really my thing."

Damas thought back to Daxter's revelation about his son's supposed inability to speak, "So it is true that you used to be a mute?"

Jak's eyes flashed darkly, "Daxter told you that, huh?"

"Among other things," Damas admitted, "I assure you he was careful with what he chose to share."

"Daxter? He's never careful about what comes out of his mouth." Jak replied with a sarcastic laugh, "I don't think he knows how to shut up."

The wastelander chuckled quietly to himself, "Sometimes I wonder what compels him to insistently harass those around him. The constant noise is exhausting."

"Hmm." And with that it seemed as though Jak was done with the subject. He pulled one hand to the back of his neck and rubbed, growing still when a thought seemed to cross his mind. After a few seconds he pulled his knees up to rest his arms across them. The sheer effort he put into avoiding eye contact was impressive.

Awkward silence fell heavy on both of them. Damas continued to curiously glance at the boy, making silent observations. Jak was in somewhat loose, casual clothes, which gave more indication of his lithe build. While he had seen him nearly unclothed in the past, Damas hadn't actually focused on the boy's size before now. Though he was obviously sturdy and strong, the young warrior was small. Damas couldn't claim to be much more than average height, but Jak was nearly a full head shorter than him. His late wife was actually taller than he himself was, so he found it perplexing that his son had such a modest frame. Daxter had actually made several jokes on the subject, though until now Damas had all but tuned them out.

Then another of the ottsel's remarks crossed his thoughts... Jak was obviously far too young to have gone through what he had... but how young was he? Daxter hadn't known, and try as he might, the scraggly scruff of hair on his chin did nothing to age him. Had he not gone through time he would still be a child, of course... Perhaps more disturbing was the fact that Jak's eyes gave the illusion of age: tired and full of a look only possessed by those who had seen far too much hardship.

The wastelander couldn't help but scrunch his brow slightly. Jak apparently noticed, and let out an aggravated sigh. He didn't turn his head, but his eyes drifted to the man next to him, "Ok... Fine. Ask whatever you want to ask."

"What?" Damas scratched his cheek guilty at being caught in his musings.

Jak's chin sunk deeper into his knees, and he waved nonchalantly with one hand, "You wanted to talk."

"I do. But I also do not want you to feel as though you are forced to against your will." Damas replied, regaining a strong unreadable expression, "This is difficult for me as well, but not for the reasons I believe you suspect."

Jak's shoulders jerked slightly, curiosity overcoming him, "Hmmph. Fine. I know we gotta do this eventually anyway, but I can't promise I'll be able to actually answer everything..." He almost looked ashamed as he turned away, "My memory isn't always reliable..."

"Fair enough." Damas shrugged, clearly trying to decide what his first question should be. He knew he would have to be strategic about how and what he asked if he wanted to receive honest answers without angering the boy. He stroked his chin with his rough, weathered fingers, "How old are you?"

Jak's head snapped quickly back to give the wastelander a quizzical smirk, "Really? Of all the things you could ask, that's what you want to know?"

"There are many things I wish to know. This is just one of them."

Jak snorted, and shrugged. "Ok then. I guess I really don't know. The first birthday I remember celebrating was my sixth, but now I know it wasn't my actual birthday. Samos just made one up. If we just go by that, I'm twenty."

"Hmm. Your birth date isn't the issue." Damas mused, "I just don't know how long you were missing before the underground found you, or rather, How long before you were sent back in time. You were three when you were abducted..." His eyes grew heavy as he settled into the memory. "I suppose with the Sage's help, we would be able to pinpoint your true age... but for the time being I can tell you what your actual birthday is, if you wish."

Jak cocked his head, unable to hide his interest, "Sure."

"The thirty-second day of winter."

"Huh." Jak almost looked pleased to have the new information, "We always celebrated in the summer. " He shrugged it off, slouching once again into his normal, brooding demeanor. "Next question."

"Do you remember anything of your life before you were raised by the Sage?"

"No." He noticed the sadness that Damas tried and failed to disguise, and let out a sigh, "If it makes you feel better, Samos thinks it has something to do with the fact I was so young when we went through time. The energy in the time stream or some stupid junk..."

"I see..." Damas frowned, he had hoped that maybe there was something... anything his son had latched onto deep in the recesses of his mind.

Jak shifted, lowering one leg and once again scratching at a wrist. He quietly mumbled, "Sometimes things _feel_ sorta familiar... like I should remember something, but it's just not there."

Damas looked hopeful, "Such as?"

Jak flushed slightly, "Just... things. People." He couldn't bring himself to confess that Damas had been one of the people who felt oddly familiar when he first met the man.

Damas wanted to push further, wanted to believe he hadn't mistaken the implication behind the youth's words, but chose not to force the issue. He decided to ask a different sort of question, "What is it like to channel Light and Dark Eco as you do?"

This was closer to what Jak was expecting to be asked, and he sighed... it wasn't an easy question the answer. Channeling either type was nothing like channeling the four basic forms of Eco... and even though Damas was a channeler himself, there was just nothing to compare it to. Even Seem, who could dabble with Light Eco had no idea what it meant to absorb it like he did, and he hadn't met anyone at all besides Gol and Maia who could even think about messing with Dark Eco... Then there was the fact that going into any amount of detail would most likely make him come off as even more of a freak then he already did... though he supposed at this point, it didn't matter. Damas had seen both his forms up close and personal, so anything Jak told him now was just icing on the proverbial freak cake.

Damas noticed that Jak was unsure on how to answer, and attempted to make it easier for the youth, "I... I was pigheaded before. I trust you when you say that you can't release your Light Eco, I just want to understand more about all of this. That is all."

Jak's eyes narrowed, but he shook his head and sighed, "Ok... fine. I need it. It's not just because it balances out the Dark Eco. My body needs both types like it needs food. If I have too little of either, I start to break down. I get weak and tired. I can make a little Light Eco go a long way, but I can't completely eliminate the Dark Eco... like I said before: it's in my blood. The Baron..." He paused, clearly not wanting to get into those particular details, "It's hard to explain, but if I go too long without Light Eco, I _will_ die." He leaned his head back, resting it against the rock face. His eyes grew weary, and he frowned, "The Eco also affects my brain. Sometimes I can't think right without it... things get crossed. I lose control, and it's not because I don't try." Jak continued struggling through the explanation, and after a few seconds he seemed to have an idea, "Ok, remember when I channeled the Dark Eco out of your arm?"

Damas looked at his forearm, pulling his fingers across the puncture scars, "Yes."

"Yeah... sorry about that again. It burned like hell, right?" Jak gave the wastelander a second to nod before continuing, "That's what it feels like inside my head sometimes... only worse. If I don't have Light Eco, it just keeps getting more and more painful until I just can't handle it. The Dark Eco wins and I freak out. Then I can't stop it... I'm too tired."

"That's when you transform?" Damas asked, eyeing the youth cautiously. He hoped his question would not upset him.

He was relieved when Jak just nodded, voice quiet as he clearly felt uncomfortable, "Yeah... and you've seen what happens then."

"What you do while in that state is not entirely your fault." The wastelander tried to reason sympathetically.

"Stop. I'm not begging for forgiveness, or asking for pity," Jak demanded, slightly annoyed. "I'm just telling you how it is. I have to take responsibility because it's still me. I'm the one doing it. My other forms aren't different people... they're me."

Damas frowned, "The Light Eco stops the process?"

"Eh... not really." Jak explained, "But it gives me the strength to resist. The Dark Eco is still there, the more I have the stronger it pushes... and I'm constantly absorbing it: I can't stop that from happening." He brushed one hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh, "I think... I think you've seen me make shields right? I think I remember making a shield against the big Metal Head..."

"You did. It was quite impressive."

"That's _kinda_ what I do with the Light Eco inside me. So the more Light Eco I have, the stronger the shield..." He leaned forward to rest his chin on his knees again, "It's not a perfect system... everything is tied to my emotions, and if you haven't noticed: I'm don't always have a good handle on those. If I get too pissed off the Dark Eco can still surprise me." He snickered darkly, "...and the Dark Eco makes me angry. So it's a constant battle to stay me. I won't give up my Light Eco, because it's the only thing keeping me from losing myself." He sighed, "I had a pretty good hold on it before this tear stuff started, and even then, it only got real bad after Erol..." He trailed off, bringing one hand to rub gently against his chest, "I was getting better."

Damas's expression lightened and he took a few seconds to consider the youth's words, "The Dark Eco in your blood... is it painful?"

Jak shrugged, "Some days are worse than others."

"I've seen you transform into your dark self willingly."

The youth frowned nervously, "Yeah... I can. If I'm able to concentrate, and the Dark Eco doesn't catch me off guard I can sort of control it, but It's still really risky. For a bit, I was even able to sorta half transform into my dark self. I didn't even have the horns when I did that. I couldn't do it all the time though... I can never claim it was completely under control, and I slipped up more than once for sure, but I was learning. When I force myself to transform I can still get overwhelmed after the fact. Especially now: I get really muddled and messed up... but the power it gives me... " He stopped himself. He didn't want to tell the wastelander that a part of him enjoyed the surge of power. He enjoyed feeling like he could completely destroy the people who tried to hurt him. The pain would turn into a sick sort of pleasure just before he blacked out, "And believe it or not, I can channel it without transforming if I'm careful. Some of the Eco powers I get are actually kinda cool... It can actually be useful sometimes."

Damas nodded understandingly, "...and what of the Light Eco? You say it holds back the dark, but does it cause you pain?"

Jak seemed genuinely surprised by the question. Typically when people talked about Light Eco, they were under the impression that it was this all powerful cure all. Damas was clearly more observant than he let on, "Not really pain... At least not like the Dark Eco does. I'd take it over how the Dark Eco feels any day of the week. It can be overbearing sometimes, and it can overwhelm me just like the Dark Eco can, it's just different. Channeling it is just like channeling any other kind of Eco: if I do it wrong it can cause some serious damage. Dark and Light Eco are both really, really dangerous, and I don't just channel it, I absorb it. If I was normal, I probably would have died from Eco poisoning or strain a long time ago."

They sat in silence for several minutes while Damas absorbed the information. It was certainly insightful, and he understood Jak's reasoning better than he had before. He suspected the situation was much more complicated than he let on, and that Jak was simply giving him a brief explanation... which was fine. He hoped there would be more time to truly delve into the details at a later.

Finally the old king returned his attention to the young warrior at his side, "Why did you say I was disappointed in you back when you were recovering?"

Jak quickly shifted his eyes from the wastelander, and pulled his knees closer to his chest. He tilted his head downward, some of his hair falling loosely in front of his face, "How can you not be?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ughh,." Jak weakly smacked a fist against his forehead, "It's all so screwed up.. The Kid was so... he was normal. He... I... used to be."

Damas's heart felt as if it had leapt into his throat. Perhaps he had made a mistake with this question. It was clearly evident that the physical pain caused by the Eco was nothing compared to the mental anguish caused by whatever the Baron had done to him.

"Mar... he was a nice kid. He was innocent... and..." Jak brought both hands to rest on the back of his head, his face now completely concealed, "When I came through the rift... I... I didn't even know it was two years... not until Daxter told me."

"Take a deep breath, and try to form your thoughts." Damas placed a hand on Jak's shoulder, and felt the youth's shift slightly. The wastlander patiently waited as Jak took the time to focus.

"I don't understand... How are you not freaked out? I'm so different..."

"Mar..."

Jak grew quieter still, "Mar is gone. I'm all that's left, and I'm..."

"I had a long time to think about what transpired." Damas interrupted calmly, "At first I was quite... _freaked out_... as you put it. I was holding your dead body in my arms when I was told the truth... I grew quite angry."

Jak nodded weakly. Of course he was angry… who wouldn't be?

"I was angry at you for dying. Angry at your killers. I grew angry at the world, at the Precursors. How could this be the truth? It was absolutely ridiculous." He let his words sink in, before taking a deep breath, "I wanted to believe it was a lie... I denied it so fervently even though I _knew_ it was true. Part of me knew it _before_ the truth was revealed... and then there was the fact that I had been told by _Veger _of all people. I was devastated."

Jak remained completely still, but was obviously latching onto every word.

"It took a very long time for me to accept what I was really feeling. I wanted it to be a lie because it meant that I was not there to protect you. I was not there to be a father, to guide you. I was not there to watch you grow. I was not there to stop them from doing..." He loosely grabbed one of Jak's wrists, and gave it an angry, nearly disgusted sneer, "This..."

"It wasn't your fault..." Jak mumbled, pulling his arm from Damas's grasp and hiding it near his chest.

"And you suppose that it was yours?" Damas questioned, "You were a child. My child."

Jak shook his head slowly, "I really don't get any of you. I'm not Mar… I'm not even the same Jak that Daxter and Keira knew. I'm a dangerous monster."

"Dangerous? Definitely. But you could say the same about many in our company…" At this Jak actually seemed to snicker. "You are no monster. You are troubled, yes... but understandably so. There has been so much done to you that was out of your control, and that would drive any man to madness. You are still my son, regardless of what name you choose to go by, or how old you are. You _are_ Mar, even if you are changed... and you have grown into a brave, powerful warrior who has proven time and time again that he is a _hero. _I am not disappointed in you. I am disappointed that you were brought such suffering... I am disappointed in myself and this world for letting you down time and time again."

Jak just sat in silence, completely unsure of how to react_. _All he could muster was, "I'm sorry I'm not what you were expecting."

Damas shook his head, "You do not need to apologize for who you are. You are not a cold blooded killer, or a vicious criminal as you seem to think. You are a combination of all of your experiences, good and bad. You are stronger for it. I was proud of you before I knew you were my son. My mind did not change after."

Jak looked completely and utterly confused. He turned to stare at the wastelander, looking for some hint of deception. After several seconds he shook his head and closed his eyes, "You're insane. You've literally seen me do things that would cause any normal person to run away screaming. Which would be the correct response... I just told you I'm basically a junkie Eco addict that decides rampaging is the proper response to a tantrum. You find out I'm your kid, and you're just like '_come on son, let's talk about birthdays and blabbing ottsels.'_"

Damas gave a muffled laugh, "Perhaps, but I suppose it must run in the family."

Jak rolled his eyes and stared back over the ocean as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Anything else you want to know?"

The wastelander leaned back, contemplating which question he wanted to ask. Something more light-hearted, as he didn't think Jak was up for another difficult explanation about himself, "Why in the world did you ever even attempt to climb those cliffs to this place?"

"Precursor orbs." Jak grinned, "One thing led to another..." His eyes suddenly widened, and he jumped hastily to his feet. One hand met his brow as he slowly cocked his head to the side, "Sorry… gotta cut this whole 'bonding' thing short…"

Damas stood, hunching slightly to avoid hitting his head against the rock above him, "What's…?" He didn't need to finish his question. There was a deafening boom, and the ground beneath him began to shake violently.

"Shit…" Jak hissed, slouching slightly as he brought his other hand to his temple, "Shit…"

Damas eyed him cautiously, preparing himself for the possible confrontation, "Are you…?"

"I... I'm ok…" Jak replied, taking deep breaths to calm himself, "It's… The Light Eco is helping." He tried to raise his gaze to meet the wastelander, but was struck with a sudden stabbing pain. His grip tightened in his hair, "There's… there's just so much Dark Eco… You... Your channeling is actually pretty strong... You can't tell me you don't feel it."

Damas nodded. He could sense, even nearly taste the vile substance in the air now, and he calmly held out a hand to steady the struggling youth in front of him The ground hadn't ceased it's movement, and he worried that Jak would tumble off the edge of the cliff.

It took several more seconds before the tears began to appear, and they flickered into existence in a variety of sizes. A particularly large one ripped itself open a few feet away from them, and Jak jerked hastily away in an attempt to avoid the sparking Eco that crackled at it's edges. Damas caught him by the arm in support, letting out a quiet curse. There wasn't much room to maneuver, and a very real fear struck him as he realized the cliffs above them could come crashing down at any moment.

It was the ground below them that gave out first. Damas fell to one knee as the world shifted, and he let out a startled groan. He felt Jak drop down next to him and grip tightly to the back of his cloak, "Ok.. uh… gotta go…" His voice was strained, but he was obviously determined. A sharp, threatening crack erupted from the rock above them, and streams of sand and pebbles suggested the inevitable cave in, "Just… don't panic… this is kinda weird."

Damas barely had enough time to cast a questioning glance in the youth's direction before there was a strong, shocking pulse of Light Eco. Time seemed to slow around him, and with it the world faded into a hollow, blue hue. His movements felt sluggish, the air thick. Everything felt… subdued. It was a sensation that his mind simply didn't want to register. He felt Jak pull at his body, and turned to ask, "What did you do!?"

Jak shuddered, and stumbled slightly as he continued to pull the wastelander to his feet. He hadn't transformed… at least not completely from what Damas could tell. While his skin had paled slightly, and his eyes glossed over with a gentle white glow, there were no wings, and his face hadn't converted itself to the empty emotionless state of his light form.

Damas's voice had come out slightly muted, and very garbled. It surprised him, and seemed to startle Jak just as much. The youth shook his head and cringed, yanking hard on the old king's shoulder. Damas realized that Jak was doing must have been very difficult, and relented, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

Jak held onto him awkwardly as they jumped down from their ledge onto the platform below. They landed hard, but only hesitated for a second before dashing forward along the perilously small footholds and pathways that lead around the crumbling rock face and back toward the city. Damas moved as fast and carefully as his legs would carry him… which in and of itself was a curious endeavor. It was almost like running through mud, and all the while time around him barely crawled. He could see cracks as they formed in the stone, clouds of dust particles wafted out in from of him in slow motion. Falling debris floated precariously in front of his face. Everything around him looked as though he was wearing thick, blurry blue goggles, and it threatened to make him sick.

Finally they came to where the cliffs gave way to a beach, and Jak let go. There was a bright, harsh flash and the world returned to it's normal shade and speed. It instantly made Damas dizzy, and he forced himself to regain his bearings in the still shaking world.

Jak collapsed to his knees next to him, using one hand to support himself and the other to grip at his forehead, "Why… why won't it stop…?"

Damas knelt, placing one hand on the youth's back. Jak was trembling, "There was a time in my world where the quakes would last for so long, I thought they would never cease…"

A bright pulse of light flashed through the sky above them, and the cracking patterns shifted sharply. Entire patches of sky seemed to disintegrate away, leaving gaping holes reminiscent of the tears. Jak's eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open slightly, "What the fu…"

Jak was cut off by a booming crack, and several feet away the ground split wide. Buildings in the distance shifted and fell into the widening abyss, the rupture stretching through the city. Shouts and cries rang out, but it was one specific panicked voice that caught his attention, "Jaaaakkkk!?"

Daxter was racing through sands toward his best friend when the earth broke apart under his feet. His reflexes took over, and he jumped back, shuffling desperately away from the shifting sands. He wasn't quite quick enough, and he slipped. One hand caught on a sharp ledge a few feet down, the rock slicing clean through his fur and into his flesh. He held tight, and squirmed desperately to try and find nonexistent footholds. The rock around him was breaking away at an alarming rate.

Jak's head snapped toward the direction of the scream, and he was instantly on his feet. He rushed to the side of the chasm, sliding acrobatically to his side and reaching down to grip the ottsel's tiny hand in his own. He scooped him up toward his chest, and quickly rolled away from the edge. Once he was confident he was at a safe distance, he stopped, lying flat on his back in the sands. The quake seemed to finally be ending, and he focused on calming the surging Eco in his system as he regained his breath.

Daxter pushed himself out of Jak's now loose grasp, and glanced worriedly down into his best friend's face. He gripped his bleeding hand delicately, but was more concerned with the individual beneath him, "You ok?"

Jak groaned, and placed a shaky palm across his eyes. For the first time since he regained his Light Eco, he felt the drain. Slowing down time always took a lot more Eco than his other powers did... and he had done it for longer than he usually did. He still had an impressive reserve, but he would have to be more careful in it's uses. "Yeah.. You?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Damas trotted up next to them, and turned his eyes skyward, "We're running out of time."

The giant gaps in the sky remained, pitch black voids threatening to devour the world below. The time for rest was over. They needed to hurry back to Haven.

* * *

**Author's notes: **The next chapter is all but done, so expect that soon. Hope you guys liked the Damas/Jak bonding!


	14. Chapter 13

**Author's notes: **Nothing much to say this time, since the last chapter was just uploaded yesterday. Hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

* * *

"Daxter!" Tess pulled herself out of her nest of blankets only to be damn near tackled by the other ottsel. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face against her neck. She patted his back gently, "Hey, I'm fine! I'm fine!"

Jak smiled a bit somberly from the doorway. The rest of the group was in the waiting room beyond, discussing the events of the past two days in detail as they decided how to approach the trek up to the Precursor Machine. The Demolition Duo had broken away to visit Tess instead.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here baby…" Daxter began, only to be abruptly shushed. He frowned, pulling away just enough to assess her from head to toe. There was a small patch of damaged fur on her brow, and he dragged a few fingers across it gingerly. There was a stretch of scar tissue underneath, and his eyes began to water.

"Samos patched it right up!" Tess assured him, "It was just a little cut, snookums. Nothing to get all spazed out about."

Daxter huffed, "I shoulda been here."

"You were out saving the world!" Tess argued, shaking her head.

Jak frowned, and shuffled forward, "No… he was dealing with my dumb ass." He slumped into the chair that was beside the bed, and dragged a palm across his face, "I'm sorry Tess. I'm so sorry. It's my fault."

"Oh no, not you too. I don't know how to break it to you boys, but I can handle my own. Besides..." Tess scolded, rolling her eyes. She pried herself from Daxter's grasp, and jumped over the Jak's knees, "He _was_ out saving the world. My world. You are a big part of that, you know!"

Jak flushed slightly, glancing at her through his fingers, "Tess…"

"Don't you _Tess_ me mister!" She continued, wagging a finger up toward his face, "Jak, you may not realize this… but we're in this together. All of us! We're a family."

Daxter smirked, plopping down so that his feet hung off the side of the bed, "Wanna talk about dysfunctional." His voice did nothing to suggest that he disagreed with her however.

"You stop it!" Tess pouted playfully, sneering cutely in his direction. "You and Daxter are _my_ family… and no crazy, obsessed robot jerk is gonna get away with messing with us. This isn't your fault. This is Erol's fault. He's crazy."

"Family…?" Jak mumbled, completely stupefied. He'd never thought about it like that before. Family was still a foreign concept for him, and he didn't really know how to process it. He loved all his friends of course, and would lay his life down for any one of them.

"That's right. Family. Deal with it!" Tess placed her hands on her hips, still glaring at him. "You're going to be uncle Jakie, whether you like it or not!"

Daxter snickered, imagining how completely and humorously lost Jak would be when it came to dealing with babies… ottsel or otherwise. The look on his best friend's face the first time the Kid tried to hold his hand back before they knew who he was… something akin to terror. There were a number of reasons for that of course, some less funny than others, but it didn't stop Daxter from being highly amused, "You don't always gotta be related to be a family, pal."

Jak carefully scooped Tess up, and deposited her on the bed next to his best friend. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around the two of them, "Uncle Jakie, huh?"

"Now you're learning!" Tess giggled, a bit surprised by the hug. Jak didn't normally hug. She gently gave him a pat on the back.

"I guess that's got a nice ring to it…"  
***

"What does _several_ mean?" Ashelin asked, half sitting on the back of a couch in the waiting room. She crossed her arms, "He didn't specify? Really?"

"Really." Sig confirmed, "Damn Precursor was vague as hell. He just said it'd take multiple people. Plus you'da thought he'd give us coordinates or something, and not just some creepy hallucination."

"Vision." Samos corrected, "… but yes, I supposed you are correct. An exact location would certainly be more useful."

"I don't understand _why_ he insists on being so… so…" Damas let out a deep breath to try and calm himself, "First, he holds this information back from us in my world, until it is too late. If he would have just told us from the beginning, we may have been able to stop all of this from happening."

"I keep telling you guys! The Precursors have always been a bunch of selfish jerks!" Daxter's voice rang out from the doorway. He was propped lazily against Jak's head on one shoulder, while Tess was hunched on all fours on the other, "I wouldn't think too hard on it, it'll just piss ya off more."

Damas grunted in agreement and turned to pace with his thoughts. His eyes glanced over his murmuring comrades, minus Torn who was busy with the KG, though he stopped when he noticed the strange behavior of one in particular. Samos stood almost dead still, an eerie look of dread plastered across his face. He was staring at Jak quite intently, despite his obvious attempts to hide it.

The wastelander wasn't the only one to notice, and Keira's perky voice cut through the mumbles and talk of the rest of the room's inhabitants, "Daddy? Are you ok?"

Everyone's chatter ended as they turned to look at the Sage. He squirmed uncomfortably under the attention, eyes shifting instantly from the young warrior in front of him to the floor, "Yes… yes, I'm fine dear."

"I dunno Moss Mouth, you look a little green…" Daxter snorted at his own joke, "Well, more green than usual anyway."

"It's nothing. I am fine." Samos huffed, snapping his head up to glare at the ottsel. His expression changed completely when he noticed Jak's concern. He once again turned guiltily away, "We have more pressing matters…"

Everyone had noticed the awkward way Samos avoided the youth's gaze now, including Jak. He tilted his head slightly, and extended an arm so that Tess could climb down to a small table near him, then he turned to question the Sage, "Samos?" The Sage winced so slightly it was unnoticed by the majority of the group.

Daxter had noticed, and so had Jak by the way his muscles tensed under the ottsel's grip. Jak did not react well to strange looks or curious whispers. He could almost sense the oncoming confrontation, so Daxter tried to derail the situation, "Aw, whatever. He's probably just constipated or something. Needs a more balanced diet."

Jak wasn't accepting that. He crossed his arms and glared sourly down at the elderly sage, "No… I know that look. I see it from people on the street every day. I've just never seen it come from him before."

The room was silent for several seconds as a mix of confusion and curiosity grew in everyone's minds. The only one who might have had an idea as to what was happening was Ashelin, and even she was caught off guard by the way the Sage was acting.

"We can discuss this later…" Samos suggested, "Right now we should focus on the machine…"

"Huh. Ok then." Jak sneered, slowly growing angrier. "That's fine and all… I just want to know what happened all of a sudden. I'm used to people being _scared_ of me… but this is…"

Samos stiffened, and he swallowed to try and counteract his drying throat, "No! That's not it at all!"

"Then what is it?"

The sage sighed, shaking his head, "Perhaps we should speak in private…"

This caused Jak's anger to dissipate slightly, only to be replaced by confusion. He followed the Sage into the other room.

"Anyone have any idea what that's about?" Daxter asked, cocking a thumb toward the closed door. Almost everyone answered with a shake of the head or a shrug.

Jak's voice suddenly ripped through the silence from the room beyond, "YOU WHAT?!"

Samos obviously then said something the group couldn't hear that caused the youth to storm out of the room with the Sage at his heals. Jak was seething, the anger practically rolling off of him in waves. He had his fists clenched, white knuckled, and his jaw was pulled tight. He turned and pointed angrily at the man behind him, "You… You had NO right..."

"I needed to know Jak. I wanted to know what…" Samos stammered, fidgeting with his fingers.

"You didn't _need_ to know anything!" Jak yelled, quickly turning his attention to the governor, "YOU. You _let_ him! You're the only one that could have had access to it…" He sneered, "Did you watch too? Get a good show?"

"Jak? What's going on, what did my dad do?" Keira interjected, looking past her friend and toward her father. He was slumped and defeated, a look of guilt plastered on his face.

Jak snapped his gaze toward the mechanic. He obviously tried to calm himself when he looked at her, but she could still clearly see the rage that poured from his eyes. Behind that he looked extremely hurt. He struggled to speak, eventually giving up and settling on a loud exhale through his nose. After several seconds of silent fuming, he shuffled toward the exit.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Daxter dashed forward to follow, "We're not going through this again!"

Jak turned on his heel and faced his furry companion, "A walk. Just a walk. Alone." He saw the questioning look his friend was giving him, and sighed, "I'm not gonna leave the palace. I'm not running away... I just... I can't deal with _him_ right now."

Daxter realized that there was no arguing with his frustrated friend. Jak's fists were still tight, and every word wavered with restraint. Without waiting for a reply he simply turned around and stomped out of the room.

Once the door shifted shut behind him the ottsel immediately spun to face the Sage, "What the hell did you do?!"

"I simply wanted to know…" He groaned, and trudged wearily toward an empty chair, "I wanted to know what I had condemned him to in those two years…"

Daxter cocked his head slightly, eyes widening as he realized what the Sage meant, "You what? No… No you didn't. Not even you could…"

"I went through Baron Praxis's records of Jak… The video files..."

"How can you be that stupid!?" Daxter shrieked, and much in the same fashion as his best friend, he turned to look at Ashelin, "What about you? _Did_ _you?_"

The redhead flushed slightly, "No!"

"So what gave you the bright idea to let _him_ do it?" The ottsel hissed, jutting a thumb toward the slumping Sage.

"He asked. And frankly, I thought it might make him realize that he had just a big a part in what happened to Jak as anyone." Ashelin grew defensive, crossing her arms and glaring, "I was tired of him putting my friend down."

"He puts _everyone_ down! That's what he does!" Daxter sighed, roughly rubbing his eyes, "Samos is an asshole!"

The Sage looked ready to jump up and defend himself, but Daxter bared his teeth and snarled, "What, don't like dealing with the truth? Well, I'm sure you got a whole freaking bucket-load from those vids. Good job with that!."

"I just…" Samos sighed, covering his eyes with his hands, "I'm sorry. Alright?"

"Yeah, well, you're just a few years too late for that!" Daxter growled sarcastically, "Between you, Erol, and the Precursors, it's a freaking mystery why he's so messed up." He took a deep breath, "You guys get everything ready for the trip. I'll have brood boy back and ready to go…" He turned to Tess, "You gonna be ok babe?"

"I'll be fine Daxie. Just go do your thing!"

"I always do."

"I'm coming too!" Keira insisted as she followed her long time friend out the door.

"Welcome aboard." The ottsel's voice loudly drifted from the hallway.  
***

Jak had wandered for a while before finding himself out on a large balcony. The new palace was nowhere near the size of the old one, but it was still impresive. It had a few additions that the Baron's had lacked, like the hospital wards and KG quarters, but wasn't as tall, and didn't require supports across the city to hold it in place. The balcony still gave him a pretty decent view, which is what he was concentrating on to try and settle his nerves.

He leaned over a railing, eyes dancing through the streets below. The earthquake had done even more damage than he initially thought, and there were numerous Krimson Guard patrols doing their best to placate the people, and help clean up the mess. They were a far cry from the totalitarian police force they once were, but he couldn't help the fact that he still found himself weary and agitated by every single one of them. Torn and Ashelin had done wonders in reforming them, retraining, educating etc… still…

He groaned bringing his hands up to his brow and shuffling away lazily from the rail. He just wanted to shout at someone. If the timing were more appropriate, he might even have headed off to the forest ruins so that he could transform into his Dark form and rip into some straggling metal heads. It had been a long time since he _wanted_ to, and that just pissed him off even more. He wasn't supposed to want it.

There was a sudden woosh of an engine to his left, and he turned to look. Torn was in one of the modified Hellcats, and he carefully landed it on the balcony a small distance away. Jak rolled his eyes, annoyed with the new presence. The commander hopped over the edge of the hover vehicle and strolled casually over. He looked pretty exhausted, but it didn't stop him from prodding. "Well, don't you look like a bucket of sunshine. Who pissed in your bed?"

"Drop it." Jak grumbled, leaning back over the rail, "I'm really not in the mood right now."

"Heh." Torn grinned smugly and hunched next to the young warrior, turning his gaze toward the city beyond, "What a mess…"

"Any sign of Erol?" Jak asked, scratching the scruff on his chin.

"No." Torn sighed, and pulled away from the ledge, "I even sent a squad to scope out the Terraformer, and he's not there. Sig's guys are still out there screwing with the Metal Heads and Dark Makers though."

There was a shuffle from behind them and the door to the palace opened. Daxter peaked his head around the corner, then let out a loud sigh of relief, "Sheesh, there you are!" He turned back to look down the hallway behind him, "He's out here Keira!"

Jak snorted loudly and turned away, ignoring his approaching friends as he returned to his previous distractions. Daxter jumped up between him and Torn, sneaking a quick look down at the town below.

"Jak, are you ok?" Keira asked, placing a gentle palm on his back. He twitched slightly at the touch, but didn't pull away, "I'm really, really sorry my dad…"

Jak shook his head, "Just drop it."

Torn cast a curious glance in their direction, wondering what the Sage had done now... He cleared his throat, and gave a quick salute as he backed away from the railing, "I've gotta go meet up with Ash… see ya later."

Keira smiled and waved, while Jak just grunted in acknowledgment. The KG commander was almost through the door when the beeping began.

Jak's ears were the first to pick up on the foreign sound, and he quickly snapped his attention toward the noise. The others began to notice as the sound grew closer. It settled somewhere beneath the balcony.

"Shit!" Torn cursed, "Inside! Now!" He motioned for the group run.

Jak grabbed Keira's arm tightly and shoved her ahead, giving Daxter the extra second to jump to his shoulder before following.

There wasn't enough time for any of them to make it before an explosion rang out below them. The balcony began to crumble, and Jak was flung forward off his feet. He smacked his head against the shifting stone, and his vision went white. Daxter had tumbled off his shoulder and scrambled desperately toward his fallen friend. He knew the floor would give out any minute. The ottsel yanked hard on Jak's shoulder, "Come on bud, come on…"

Jak groaned and struggled to push himself to his knees, he could feel the tingling sensation of warm blood seeping down the side of his face, and his hearing was muffled from the explosion. He shook his head and shuffled forward as another section of stone collapsed from underneath him.

Torn had dashed out onto the balcony in an attempt to reach Keira when he was suddenly struck unexpectedly and thrown sideways off his feet. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a shimmer in the air directly behind the mechanic, "Get away!"

Erol's camouflage dropped just as he gripped tightly around Keira's hair. She let out a shriek, and he pulled back roughly to silence her, "Why, hello Jak…"

Jak was on his feet despite the rush of dizziness that swept over him. He dashed forward over the collapsing stone as fast as his legs would carry him, but Erol had long since evaded by hovering and dangling the struggling girl just out of reach, "You don't look happy to see me!"

"EROL!" Jak roared, crackling with Dark Eco. His ears caught the sound of several more beeping objects. Explosions rang out in the streets below them. Jak immediately rushed to latch onto his Light Eco and transform. He was interrupted when another close by explosion caused more of the balcony to shift from underneath him.

"You want her back? Come and get her." The cyborg taunted, slinging the girl over his shoulder.

Keira squirmed, gripping tightly at the back of his head. She kneed him in the face as best she could. "Let me go you creep!"

Erol snarled, "We'll be waiting... So make sure you survive." He flung a small beeping mine toward the door of the palace, blocking their escape. The cyborg re-cloaked, vanishing from sight.

"Let's go!" Torn scooped up the ottsel and yanked at Jak's arm, pulling them both toward the zoomer. He jumped into the driver's seat, just as another explosion erupted from underneath them. They were all caught in the blast. The Hellcat, housing Torn and Daxter, was thrown in one direction, while Jak was thrown in another. The last thing Daxter saw was the balcony give out completely underneath him.  
***

"He's over here! Oh, man, Jak, wake up. Come on..." The voice was close... right next to his ear. He felt a tug on his shoulder – small and weak. Not enough to move him, but enough to cause him to stir. His eyes fluttered open, his vision was fuzzy. He tried to move.

Pain.

There was a sharp, pulsing pain near his collar bone, and he pulled one shaky hand up to feel his chest. It was a combination of an actual open wound of some kind... and the strange veins beneath his skin. He felt sticky, thick blood against his fingers. His eyes still hadn't focused, but he could smell smoke, and hear various shouts and the shuffling of people around him.

"Jak!?"

He felt fur against his cheek, and he turned his head. A blurry, familiar shape came into view, "Da.. Dax..."

"Yeah, oh, man, Jak... crap... crap..." The ottsel glanced down, looking over his friend's body, "There's uh, a lot of...ugh... Can you move?"

The young warrior gurgled something in response... he tasted blood. He tilted his head and coughed it up. His ears were ringing. He clenched his eyes shut.

"Oh, Damn it..." Daxter turned his head to yell at someone in the distance, "Sig! Samos! Somebody! Over here!"

Jak heard another voice, deep and muffled, "You find him Chili Pepper?" The thump and shifting of loose stone, "Ah hell... Jak! Jak you there? You hear me?"

There was a heavy pressure removed from his stomach, and Jak realized he was partially buried in rubble. He tried to concentrate, tried to remember what had happened. His mind was blank... He groaned, feeling a dull ache in the back of his skull. How hurt was he? What had happened?

"Jak! Come on kid, focus. Look at me!" Sig snapped his fingers in front of the youth's eyes, completely dismayed when there was no direct reaction, "Daxter, go get Samos and Damas, now. They're up around the corner there, helping some civies. Go!"

"Yeah... Yeah ok..." Jak heard the shuffling of paws over the concrete... He tried to turn and face the direction the sound trailed off in. He didn't want Daxter to leave.

"No. No, lay still." Jak felt Sig place a strong palm against his shoulder, pinning him down, "Open yer eyes. Look at me."

"Sig?" Another voice. It was sort of raspy. He felt himself drifting back to unconsciousness.

"Come on Jak, stay awake now. Use that fancy Light Eco junk of yours or something... Hell I'll take the Dark Eco monster! Just stay awake." Sig cursed, digging at the debris beside him.

"Mar!" The raspy voice. Damas... close by now.

"Mar...?" Jak mumbled, cracking open his eyes "I'm Mar..."

"Jak, focus now, come on. Dammit, where's Samos?" Sig glanced over his shoulder.

"I'm here. I'm coming..." The Sage's voice drifted across the rubble. Jak shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to see Samos. He was mad at Samos... but why? He couldn't remember.

"By the Precursors! Don't let him move yet!" Samos knelt, holding a palm over Jak's chest. He leaned close to assess the damage, "The injuries are bad, but the Light Eco has already started to heal him. Though, I don't think he's consciously doing it himself. Hmm... concussion. "

"He probably got it in the blast..." Sig wondered aloud, "Maybe that's why he didn't use his Light Eco to protect himself or fly or whatever..."

Samos looked a bit confused, unaware of the abilities past healing that Jak's Light Eco gave him. He shook it off, "He's still going to need help. Jak, can you hear me?"

"Go away..."

"Jak, listen to me. There were explosions. You got caught in the blast and you fell. You fell a very long way. I know the Precursors gave you your channeling back, so I'm going to use my Green Eco to give you a boost. I still believe it's going to react negatively with the Dark Eco in your blood. " The Sage placed a hand against the side of Jak's face to force him to look him in the eye, "It might still be painful. But I need you to concentrate. Channel it from me. You know how to do this... Dig deep, my boy."

For a brief moment there was a sense of recognition, a sense of familiarity and trust. Jak nodded weakly, and gurgled out some semblance of a response.

"Good. Good." Samos breathed wearily, gently pulling on Jak's shirt to get a better view of the wounds. He ignored the Dark Eco, unconcerned with the stinging against his skin, "Here we go..."

The Sage glowed slightly as he directed the Eco from his own body into Jak's. At first there was no immediate effect, but after several seconds the young warrior gasped out in pain. He tried to pull away, but several hands belonging to a few different people held him in place.

"Focus Jak. Listen to my voice..." Samos soothed the struggling youth, "I know it hurts... I know." A small, short jolt of Dark Eco jumped across Jak's chest, striking the Sage across the hand. He cringed, but continued undeterred. He was extremely relieved that Jak's body wasn't out-right rejecting the Green Eco. "Just stay awake now."

After a few minutes Jak seemed to calm slightly, his breathing steadying. He swallowed hard, and closed his eyes.

"Jak!?" Daxter cried, jumping up to place a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It's alright..." Samos murmured softly as he slowly directed the Green Eco in sweeping motions, "He's channeling..."

"Ugghhh." Jak coughed, bringing a hand to his forehead. He winced, feeling the bones in his chest shift painfully as he moved.

"Stay still, pull the Eco through your body..." The Sage instructed, "You've almost got it..."

Jak nodded, talking a deep breath. The more he was healed, the more aware he was of his surroundings. His mind screamed at him… something had happened. Someone was in trouble. Jak instantly sat up, crying out in pain. He broke away from the Sage's channeling, and brought his hands up to cradle his chest, "Where... where's Keira...?!"

"Lay down!" Samos scolded, but now Jak could see the disappointment and fear in his eyes, "Please Jak, lay back down..."

"Where is she!?" Jak demanded, squirming free from Damas and Sig's grasps. He looked around. He was surrounded by large chunks of rubble, the majority from the balcony he had been standing on earlier. The Palace was still mostly standing, though it looked like it had been hit pretty hard in some places. Several KG were sifting through the rubble some distance away, searching for bodies. Smoke drifted up from numerous small fires, though they were quickly being extinguished, and a few Dark Maker bodies lay sprawled among the debris.

Jak let out a loud, hacking cough that seized his body. He brought one hand up to cover his mouth, only to yank it away covered in splotches of blood. He was getting real tired of these long falls, "Keira...?"

"Erol took her." Daxter answered, "That bastard and his Dark Maker bots appeared outta no where and attacked the palace."

"Where!?" Jak moved as if to stand, and was immediately shoved back into place. He swayed, his mind beginning to cloud again without the Green Eco's healing, "Dammit... get me... get me inside..."

"What?!" Samos protested, "You can't move! Not yet!"

"I can't…" Jak stumbled on his words, clinging desperately to conscious thought, "I can heal better if I transform... Not out here… too many people, too noisy…"

***  
The two wastelanders lead him to the first empty room they could find. It was a small reception room, often used for citizens who were waiting for an audience with Ashelin or the council. It was fairly bare, housing just a few chairs and a few modest pieces of decorative furniture.

Jak pulled away from his companions grasps, and leaned heavily against a wall. His head was still swimming, and he found himself struggling to stay standing. Samos shuffled forward, "You really shouldn't be moving about… If it weren't for your body's unnatural healing abilities…"

The youth shook his head, and slowly slid down the wall. It left a streak of dark, glossy blood in his wake, and he hunched forward to gasp for breath. He could feel the Eco in his body fighting for dominance, and pushed himself to focus. He needed to Transform. Needed to heal as quickly as possible. Keira was missing, and he needed to find her… but he was too angry. Erol had taken her. He wanted to rip the cyborg limb from limb. Combined with the pain and confusion, it made it difficult to control himself, difficult to pull the Light Eco to the surface. He let out a low growl and gripped the sides of his head. He _needed_ to Transform into his Light Form… but he _wanted_ to transform into his Dark one.

Samos studied him intently, gaining as much insight as he could on the boy's state of mind. He could sense the swirling, twisting forces of Light and Dark welling up inside Jak's body, and desperately wanted to help. He found it hard to believe the youth was even conscious, but knew that it was because of the immense power of the two conflicting Ecos inside of him. Any other man would be either dead or far too near it to be saved. After viewing the records he knew that even the Dark Eco boosted Jak's healing abilities, though he suspected it was a far more uncontrolled and uneven process.

Daxter shoved his way past the Sage and put a hand on his friend's knee, "Jak? Why aren't you going all glow-boy?"

Jak gave a weak hum in reply, "Trying...Can't focus…"

"I'm going to channel more Green Eco through you. We need to get these open wounds mended. You're still losing a lot of blood." Samos gently stated as he slowly directed the Eco in his own body to flow freely, "Think back to when you first learned to channel. Remember the techniques I taught you on how to gather your thoughts. Let me deal with healing until you are ready to take over." He paused, letting his words sink in, "Remember, you control the Eco, it does not control you. You know better than anyone how to do this… so do it."

Damas paced, every muscle in his being tense. He wanted to help, but knew when to step aside and let someone more qualified do the job. It was a bit unnerving, however, as he had never seen this side of Samos before. He had never seen the Sage so understanding, so unselfish... he'd even go as far to say nurturing. In a way, it set his mind at ease knowing that perhaps some sense of this kindness had been present when Samos was raising his son.

Sig was just as dumbstruck as Damas, and feeling useless was something no wastelander was accustomed to. He stepped away toward the far corner of the room and activated his com. The least he could do was check in with the others and relay the current situation.

Jak cringed as his body began to feel the effects of the Green Eco, but he nodded at the instruction and let the Sage work. He brought one hand to his chest and drew a deep breath. He could feel his bones shift and crack… he needed his Light Eco to heal that effectively. He mentally tore through the darkness to find that welcoming tug… the warm, serene grasp of Light. He searched, growing more and more frustrated, until he finally found what he was looking for.

He jerked away, forcing himself to his feet. Samos objected at first, until he began to pick up on the building energy in the youth's body. He'd never witnessed one of Jak's transformations before, and despite his fear and concern, he couldn't help but be curious.

Jak let out a gasp and snapped his eyes closed. Wisps of light danced across his skin as he cleared his mind. It was a quick transformation, and within seconds he was floating a few inches off the ground, cloaked in a brilliant white/blue light. The blood in his wounds glowed hot white, only fading to dark crimson as it flowed. The tendrils that made up his wings stretched and pulled as he landed, and he shakily fell forward to his knees.

"Jak?" Samos reached out to catch the youth, and was surprised at the sensation against his skin. He couldn't tell if it was warm, or cold, but it was somewhat soothing none the less. He was quickly joined by Damas, who gripped Light Jak's arm to steady him.

Daxter squeezed his way between the two, "There we go baby, you got this!"

Light Jak's eyes fluttered open, and glowing white orbs stared down at the ottsel. He slowly cocked his head as he placed a palm against his chest. Samos caught some sense of familiarity from the way Light Jak was moving, a reference to days long past that struck at his heart strings. He had never been as good at understanding the boy as Daxter was, or even Keira for that matter, but he had certainly picked up a few of the boy's expressions over the years. As subdued as they might be while in this form, even Samos knew what Light Jak was asking: _where is Keira?_

Daxter's brow raised as he undoubtedly picked up on even more of the gesture that Samos did, "Just focus on getting yourself patched up, big guy. Then we can..."

When the ottsel refused to give him the answer he wanted, Light Jak turned his gaze to the Sage instead. The near non-existent expression repeated itself: _where is Keira?_

"I... I don't know…" Samos shook his head, suddenly losing the small bit of resolve that was keeping him from breaking down, "I… I don't know where my daughter is…"

Light Jak's emotionless eyes almost seemed to flash with anger, and there was a sudden pulse of searing energy that erupted from his body. Daxter yelped as he was knocked backward off his feet, and both the Samos and Damas pulled their hands hastily away in shock. The transformed youth pushed himself to his feet and stumbled backward, gripping tightly to the cloth covering his chest. He glared sharply, and for a split second a streak of inky blackness swirled across the surface of his eyes. He gripped at his brow and leaned once again against the wall as another pulse of light sent a chilling shock-wave throughout the room.

Daxter shook his head and quickly wiped his watering eyes, "Sheesh! Stop flashing us already!" He turned his focus back on his friend, and immediately gasped. The vein like wounds from his chest had spread up and around the left side of his neck, and were slowly creeping their way up the tendrils from where they sprouted from his back. As the eerie pattern crawled across the ethereal extremities they almost seemed to solidify. Daxter jumped to his feet and held out both hands defensively, "Whoa now Jak, calm down... We all want to save Keira, ok? But we can't do that if you're dead on your feet."

Light Jak continued to stare for a moment before his gaze softened considerably. He cringed, clearly wracked with some sort of pain, and he gripped his head near his temples. He slowly dropped back down to his knees hands and knees, and looked up at the ottsel apologetically.

"Vin, Ashelin and Torn are all working on finding Erol…" Daxter explained, tears welling up in his eyes, "Jak… I want to find her too... the three of us... aagghg" He threw his hands up into the air in annoyance, "I just… Just hurry up and heal so we can track that son of a bitch down and get her back…"

" Jak…" Samos's voice was barely above a whisper, and he fought back a quite sob that lodged itself in his throat, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… I don't have any right to ask you for help... but please... please help me get my daughter back."

Light Jak's expression once again faded to something near unreadable as he tilted his head to observe the Sage curiously. After a few seconds he closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. He leaned back so that he was sitting upright on his knees and focused on healing his wounds. As he did so the violet veins seemed to slowly fade and retract, back out of view beneath his clothes.  
***

"Stop squirming you little bitch!" Erol hissed, shoving the struggling mechanic against the wall, "Stop before I decide you aren't even worth the trouble and snap your pretty little neck! I've already done it once, I won't hesitate to do it again."

"Go to hell!" Keira jerked, kicking hard against the cyborgs stomach, realizing that he was talking about her counter-part.

"Oh, trust me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm already there." He replied sarcastically, "What ever happened between us? You used to think so highly of me!"

"That was before I knew you were a murdering, manipulative, lying freak!" Keira managed to struggle free, only to be roughly snagged by the back of her neck and hair.

"Freak!? Me!?" Erol roared, once again shoving her against the wall. He pushed hard, and she let out a small gasp of pain, "Big words from someone who seems so smitten with that Eco monster."

"He's not a monster!" Keira breathed, "You are. You always have been! I just didn't know the truth until it was too late. Jak's a hero."

"Jak is a rabid beast that deserves to be put down!" Erol yanked her away from the wall, dragging her roughly across the cold, metal floor, "But I intend to fix that, and make him into the tool he was always meant to be."

She glanced around and shuddered. They were in a dark, musty hallway that housed several numbered doors. Each door had a small slotted window with several thin steel bars. This had to be the prison fortress... How had he gained access to the old abandoned building? Ashelin had it condemned years ago, and it had been left empty ever since. It was actually supposed to be demolished in the next few months. How had he managed to hide away in here with so many guards scouring the city for him? Then she remembered hearing that even the KG avoided this place like a plague. Cowards. She knew Torn would skin them for letting Erol hide out right under their noses.

Just out of the corner of her eye a lanky Dark-Maker bot shuffled into sight, only to hastily disappear back into the shadows. She could hear numerous clanking and scraping sounds in the distance. How many of the creatures did Erol have at his command? How was he even commanding them?

"You fools interrupted Jak's procedure in the Terraformer... Not this time. If that little freak survived the explosions... which I'm sure he did... he'll come running to give himself up for you. Its pathetic really."

"If you're so interested in Jak, why didn't you grab him? What was the point of trying to kill him?" Keira smirked, "Or were you afraid? So you had to grab a _poor defenseless girl_ instead..."

"Afraid!? Erol pulled her back up to eye level, and he glared colder at her, "Ha. No. I simply intend to break him once and for all. I've realized now that the easiest way to do that would be through his friends... through you."

"You're sick. The only rabid beast around here is you!" Keira spat.

Erol cringed, wiping the spittle from his face, "How lady like. No wonder he's so attached to you." They boarded a platform that began a slow decent into darkness. As they went further and further the air around them grew more and more stale, and when they finally stopped Keira couldn't keep herself from trembling slightly. Something about this floor sent shivers through her spine.

The cyborg dragged her violently forward, stopping in front of another cell. This one was different than the ones on the upper floors. The slot was slightly bigger, and the bars thicker. There was no label on the door, only a rough collection of spray painted letters on the floor: CELL B.

Keira couldn't help but be frightened of the tiny little room, though she didn't immediately understand why. Erol unlocked the door, and shoved her inside.

She hastily turned on her heel in an attempt to escape, but he had quickly slammed the door and latched it tight. She glared angrily out the bars, "You're going to regret this Erol. If Jak doesn't get to you, I will."

"You? You think you'll be able to do anything to me?" Erol laughed, his synthetic voice echoing loudly through the cell block, "How precious. Don't worry, I have plans for you. I just have to go and prepare for our guests first..." His face vanished from her vision and his footsteps slowly faded as he retreated further into the fortress.

"Bastard." Keira huffed, backing away from the door, "I'll show you what I can do." She rubbed her temple, fighting back a sudden headache. The air in the cell stank of mildew and filth. There was also something else, something almost toxic that threatened to make her puke.

It only took a few seconds for her to realize what it was... Dark Eco.

"Ughh..." Keira glanced around, taking in her surroundings. There was a bare metal cot that held one tattered and torn sheet... a sheet covered in old grime and long dried blood stains. There was more staining on the floor beside the bed, and against a few of the walls. It wasn't wet, but under the dim flickering light above her she could still make out the streaks and finger marks that had at one point dragged through the muck. A small, dirty toilet sat cracked and eroded in one corner. It was clearly not functioning any longer since Ashelin had cut off the water to the building. There was no sink, no method of cleaning oneself. It was completely barbaric.

She sighed, scanning bare metal walls. There were no windows to the outside, she supposed they were probably underground at this point, and there were no distinguishing features to focus on. The door was covered in dull scratches and small splotches of blood. Whoever had been in here had rubbed their fingers raw at one point.

Then she noticed a few, small scrapes in the wall above the cot, barely visible in the low light. She leaned over, careful not to touch the filthy sheet, and stared intently at the marks. They were small, and shaky, but after a few seconds she realized what they were.

Words. Three nearly unreadable words. Daxter, Keira, Samos.

She stumbled hastily back, covering her mouth with her fingers to quiet her startled cry. She was in Jak's cell. She suddenly wanted to puke all over again. Quickly her eyes re-scanned the room, focusing on a small blinking light that was far out of reach. A camera. Erol was watching her, like he and the Baron must have watched Jak...

She grew even angrier, and as she narrowed her eyes she used one hand to rudely gesture at the lens. She'd never let Erol get away with what he'd done.  
***

Jak had already retrieved his Precursor armor, and was busy tightening the multitude of straps that lined the side of his chest plate. He had ignored his friends plea's to slow down and rest as he was intent on tracking Erol down as soon as possible, even if that meant he had to do it himself. He was tired of watching his friends get put in danger, or worse, all because the cyborg had a sick obsession with him. It was time to end this once and for all.

His shoulders protested as he moved, still aching from his most recent injuries. It had taken a lot of energy and time to mend himself, and Samos suspected that was in due in part to the corruption.

He was still furious with the man, but even Jak could tell that the Sage was on the verge of a mental breakdown over his daughter's abduction. He could relate, and was slowly coming to terms with what Samos had done. He wasn't ready for forgiveness, but he'd be able to consider it once everything was done and over with.

None of it mattered now anyway. All that mattered at the moment was getting Keira back safe, and making sure that Erol was good for nothing but scrap.

Jak fumbled in his bag, and was surprised when he pulled out a set of new goggles. There was a small note attached to them:

_'Prince Mar. We hope these will suffice in replacing your last set. The monks were very diligent in ensuring the craftsmanship.' -Seem._

Jak gaped for a moment, turning the goggles over in his hand. They weren't exactly like his old ones, but they were close enough. He looped his scarf around his neck and shoulders, then snapped the goggles over his forehead. The familiarity did wonders to calm his nerves. It was strange how something so simple could ease his tension. He almost felt like he had part of his identity back.

Daxter was sitting in one of the chairs, staring non stop at his best friend's back. He noticed every time Jak winced or shrugged off his lingering pain, even if the youth had become an expert at hiding it. He had tried to convince him to sit, and let Samos do some more Green Eco junk to him, but Jak had refused.

The ottsel looked over to the Sage, who was meditating uneasily in the corner. The fear and concern over Keira was plastered all over his face, and he'd even broken down and cried at one point- something none of them had ever seen him do. Between sobs and apologies, he had continued to beg for Jak's help and forgiveness.

Sig and Damas were busy cleaning their guns, both dedicated to the fight that was quickly approaching. Keira was important to them as well, even if it was for different reasons. Sig had spent enough time with and around her to consider her a close friend. Damas barely knew her, even in his world, but she had proven her bravery and strength on numerous occasions and was obviously one of the most important people in his son's past. The old king would easily lay his life on the line for hers... it was the wastelander way.

Jak let out a raspy groan that brought everyone's attention back to him. He had one hand pressed firmly to his upper chest, near his collarbone. He leaned lightly against one wall with his other arm, but didn't turn to face them.

Damas and Sig shared concerned glances, and Samos stopped meditating and slowly stepped forward. Daxter was about to ask him if he was ok, but they were all interrupted by the door shifting open and Vin scurrying into the room. Ashelin, Torn and Tess all followed a few feet behind.

Ashelin's eyes drifted over Jak, quietly making note of his exhausted expression and posture. Her eyes trailed over to the wall, where just a bit earlier he had left a long streak of blood as evidence to his recent injuries. She contemplated mentioning it, but assumed Jak was still angry about her giving Samos access to his records, so stayed quiet.

Tess shuffled over to Daxter, her ears back slightly as she and him exchanged concerned looks. Her eyes asked '_is Jak ok_?' and Daxter's replied with a '_No, but try and tell him that_.'

Torn made his way to stand behind a chair, using it's back as a support. He was dressed in his full armor, two blaster pistols on each hip. He still felt guilty for not being able to reach Keira earlier, though he kept his composure, "Erol sent us a message."

Jak's eyes snapped toward him eagerly, "Where is he?"

Vin stepped forward and activated his holo-projector. After a few seconds of static Erol's cybernetic head materialized. It was a per-recorded video, so there was no interaction.

_"Hello friends." Erol smiled, "Jak. I'm going to go ahead and assume you survived. Congratulations on that." He turned, as if glancing at the people in the room, "I'm sure you're all worried sick about your poor, dear Keira... but never fear! She's safe and sound!"_

_The video shifted to a camera feed showing the young mechanic pacing back and forth in a cell, seemingly unhurt. _

Jak instantly froze up, his breath caught in his throat, "You son of a bitch..." His voice was trembling, and his fingers curled, digging deep into his palms. His bright blue eyes darkened as he glared at the video, rage boiling just below the surface.

_"I'm sorry Jak, I had to let her stay in your room... I just didn't have any others made up for guests, you see." His head reappeared, and he gave a cocky, startling grin, "I know she misses you, so I'm going to keep her company. We have a date in the basement... I know how much you used to love that place. See you soon!" For a few seconds the video switched back to Keira, and two Dark Maker bots shuffled into the room, each one taking her by an arm. She tried to jerk away, but they were unrelenting as they dragged her from the room._

The anger that had engulfed Jak's features instantly vanished, quickly replaced by fear. His eyes went wide, and his voice was quiet, "Dammit..." He tore his gaze away from the spider-bot and hastily reached for his blaster. The sheer panic was evident in every action he took.

"We can't rush into this!" Ashelin demanded, "Just calm down for a minute. He's just trying to get under your skin!"

"You think I don't know that!?" Jak yelled, "We can't... I can't leave her in there! You don't know what it's like!"

"No, I don't." Ashelin admitted, but her resolve was firm, "I know we have to get her out, but we have to do this smart. He knows we're coming, and he's ready."

Jak gave a low growl, eyes flashing, "I don't care!" Numerous voices erupted in chorus to try and calm the young warrior.

"Oh, uh... sorry. Um, sorry to interrupt..." Vin cut in, climbing his way up and onto a small table, "I may have an idea that will help..."

Everyone went quiet and stared at the Spider-bot, who seemed to fidget uncomfortably under the attention, "Uh... Sorry. When I intercepted the signal from the message I did some digging, and uh... I noticed there was an old Precursor ring inside the prison. In the basement, I believe..."

Jak slowly nodded, "It's in the..." He shuddered, and closed his eyes, "Yeah. I've seen it."

"Well, he's disabled it... but I'm pretty sure he still doesn't really know what I am. He's tapped into the grid for power, and that gives me access. I can activate the ring, and you guys can use the one in my old computer hub to sneak in. I don't think it's in the exact same place it used to be, but it's definitely still on the same floor."

"You'll appear right in his face before he even has a chance to make us fight through all the Dark-Maker's and Metal-heads..." Torn suggested, "Once you're in, Ash and I can send the KG through the upper levels, let them deal with the stragglers. That way you can grab Keira, and get out."

"The basement..." Jak looked terrified, but quickly turned away to hide his discomfort. He placed his gun in his holster, and took a deep breath, "Fine. Let's..."

"Hey wait a minute!" Daxter interrupted excitedly, placing a finger to his chin. He looked up at Jak, "Didn't we give Ashelin one of those weird Dark Eco statue things?"

"What?" Jak lowered his gaze toward the ottsel, surprised by the off the wall question, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I was just thinking... Erol likes to play his whole invisible thing right? Couldn't you, ya know, even the playing field?"

Jak's confusion gave way to understanding, "There's no way it would be that easy..." He looked as if he was seriously considering something, "I wouldn't be able to hold it for long... those statues break after a bit, but..."

"Well yeah, if Erol and the Dark makers are distracted by everyone else, it might be long enough to at least get to Keira. Once she's free you can open up a can of whoop ass on that metal mouthed bastard..."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Ashelin broke in, trying to think back to all the Precursor artifacts Jak had found in the past two years, "What statue thing?"  
***

It didn't take long for the group to gather at Vin's old computer station. It was decided that the spider-bot and Tess would stay behind to man the computers so they could shut the precursor ring down once the group was safely through. Vin had gotten to work disabling any security systems that may have been connected to the grid, but he warned that once he uploaded himself and flipped the switch, so to speak, there was no doubt that Erol would be on to them.

Torn and Ashelin were going to lead the KG through the main entrances, in hopes to support the strike team. They would make their way as deep as possible into the fortress, and plant explosives to bring the place crashing down on the remaining Metal-heads and Dark-Maker's once they were done.

Jak stood uneasily staring at the ring. He had just gotten done giving his friends a detailed layout of the floor they were about to teleport to, and knew it would be a race to find Erol and Keira once they were in. They had no idea exactly where the ring had been moved to, so he tried to remember everything he possibly could to make it easier to navigate. He already knew where they would be... He hadn't been back to that room since he escaped, and had hoped to never return again.

Daxter climbed slowly up his friend, and perched on his shoulder. He leaned forward slightly, his voice low, "So, I ain't ever seen you actually use your Light Eco to attack someone before..."

Jak's eyes widened slightly, as he tried desperately to remember the details of his most recent transformation, "I did what?"

"Yeah, a weird like, pulswave thing. Knocked me over, and shocked the heck outta Samos and your dad. You actually got pissed off... I didn't think you actually could get pissed off when you turned all white and glowy."

"I don't... That's not how the Light Eco works..." Jak frowned, unable to latch onto any discernible memory. He took a moment to figure out what could have happened, "I don't know Dax."

"We'll figure it out." The ottsel gave him a light pat, "I bet it has something to do with that corruption stuff..." He paused, and shook his head, "Enough about that. You ok? About going back?"

Jak took a quick glance around and when he was sure no one was paying attention, he shook his head, "Daxter... what if he..." He looked down at his hands, and curled his fingers, "What if Keira..."

"I don't think so." Daxter replied, though he had to admit that the thought had been plaguing him for the last hour, "He wants you, so I don't think he's going to do anything to her."

"I don't know what I'm going to do if he did." Jak sighed, the fear clearly evident on his face, "She's not a channeler Dax, there's no way she'd be able to survive..."

"We're going to get her out." Daxter reassured his friend, "Then you and I are going to have some very strong words with that hunk of moving scrap."

Jak nodded, eager to get moving. He turned to the preparing group. Samos had demanded he be taken along, despite the danger, and Sig was busy showing him how to use a small blaster. Damas was curiously observing the room's monitors, discussing layout and possible trouble points with Vin.

Tess was shuffling across the consoles, making her way toward the demolition duo with a small box in her hands.

"What's up babe?" Daxter asked once he noticed her, and he hopped down to smother her with affection.

She smiled, and held the box she was holding up to Jak, "For you, hero boy."

Jak curiously took it, and lifted the lid so he could peer inside, "A gun mod?"

"You bet!" Tess replied, "I got the idea from Keira actually... and after hearing about what he did to you during the Terraformer attack." She paused, and rubbed the back of her head, "It should give him a nice big shock."

Jak balanced the mod carefully in his hand, taking note of it's design, "There's more than one kind of Eco bank here..."

"Yep!" Tess replied excitedly "Don't use it all willy-nilly, because it will eat up your ammo like Krew at an all you can eat buffet." She paused, realizing that she had just made a Daxter joke, "Oh, and make sure you aren't too close when it goes off, there might be some blast back."

"Red... blue..." He rotated the object in his hand, "and yellow?"

"Yeah, It was a real trick to get them to react with each other without blowing my own hands off..." Tess giggled, "Custom made for your morph gun."

"You and your toys..." Daxter rolled his eyes, and pulled her close. He locked lips with her, before slowly pulling away and climbing back up Jak's arm.

"Tess, what is this going to do?" Jak asked, eyes wide. He was honestly scared to know.

"It's going to piss Erol off." Tess replied, "I want that bastard to pay for messing with my family."

Jak nodded, and attached the modification to his gun. After a few seconds the Eco lines connected, and the addition glowed with all three colors.

"Ok guys, looks like we're all ready. We just got word from Ash and Torn that they're about to start." Sig stated as he approached, followed closely by Damas and Samos.

"What power does this statue give you?" Damas asked, eyeing the strange purple bust that sat in a sealed case on one of the consoles, "You still haven't told us."

Jak smirked, reaching out so Daxter could jump from his shoulder to the wastelander's, "Remember how I told you some of my Dark Eco powers were actually pretty cool?" He picked up the case, and removed the lid, "Now you see me..."

* * *

**Author's note: **Thank's again for reading guys, and I really appreciate the reviews!


	15. Chapter 14

**Authors notes: **Hey guys, back again! This chapter is almost pure action, so I hope you like it.

It looks like I have a few new reviewers, so I'd like to say hi, and thanks!

Peek-a-bloody-boo: No worries! There'll definitely be more. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope to see more reviews from you as well!

Wolfie2500: Awww, thanks! Hope you continue to enjoy the story!

ShiroHichi891: I'm flattered you enjoy it so much. I know how it is to be totally engrossed in a story... I do the same thing! Knowing I was able to do that for you is the best possible compliment. Hopefully I can keep you interested (Poor Jak. I just can't get away from the Jak angst) :) Keep reviewing to let me know how I do!

And now to my regular reviewers:

Oblique Strategies: I can't say thank you enough for the grammatical corrections. Due to my busy schedule with work and such I don't usually notice my mistakes until I read... and reread... my chapters at a later date. Even then I tend to only catch some of them. And yeah, this story has a lot more Jak suffering than I originally intended. I just can't help it D:

Katpet: Here's the next chapter! Unfortunately it's a bit shorter than my usual ones... it just felt like the right place to cut it. I have a bit done on the next chapter, so hopefully I can get it done in the next couple days! Thanks again for your reviews, they always make me smile!

M-Angel 05, Shaveza, Joe, and anyone who I missed: Seriously guys, thanks for continuously reviewing... Reviews keep me motivated. I only hope I can continue to please!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

* * *

"They're ready Ash..." Torn's voice drifted through her com-link, "Jak's already in, and the others are giving us a few minutes to get Erol's attention before they head through the ring."

"Copy that. Let's do this." The governor replied, deactivating her com. She and her squad were stationed in the slums, just a short distance from northern entrance to the fortress. Torn was going to begin his raid from the south. She turned to her troops, and held her head high, "Alright, ladies and gentlemen. You've all been briefed, I want helmets down and guns up!" Her squad complied, shifting their visors down, "Remember, our primary goal is to get that bastards attention, and wipe out whatever damn Metal-heads and Dark-Makers he has holed up in that forsaken eyesore of a building. Watch your backs, because there's no telling what we're gonna find. Let's teach him what it means to mess with Haven!"

There were several enthusiastic "Yes Ma'ams!" and even more salutes before she gave the signal to move out, with herself on the front lines. She'd be damned if she sat on the sidelines anymore. Her friends were her family, and Haven was her home. Erol had messed with both for the last time.  
***

Torn turned to the man next to him, "You and your boys got this?"

Jinx smiled, pulling his cigar from his mouth and tossing it to the cement below him. He stomped it out with one boot, "Oh yeah. You keep them monsters off us, and we'll rig this place with enough charges to make sure nothin' aint left but a brand new swimming pool."

The commander nodded, glancing back at his squad, "You heard the man. You're primary goal is to make sure they're protected, got it? The governor's leading Squad Alpha in through the north to clear a path, but expect resistance. Most of you've seen what those damn Dark-Makers can do, so bring your A-game. Let's do this."  
***

Jak had almost dropped his invisibility when he stepped through the portal. The prison had been left in complete disrepair for years, and it stank of mold and mildew. The air was thick and damp, and there was a fog of old Dark Eco that attacked his senses and made it even harder to concentrate. The only thing that kept him on point was the idea of Keira being left alone for another minute with Erol.

He hastily took in his surroundings… the ring had definitely been moved. This particular room was small and cluttered, with only one door. He didn't recognize his surroundings at all, so he slowly crept forward and peeked through to the hallway.

There were a few Dark-maker bots shuffling down the walkways, their glowing purple under-bodies casting eerie shadows along the walls and floor. Where was he? He wracked his brain… then a faded, dull memory struck him. He'd been dragged down that hallway once before, back when one of the experiments had gone too far. The scientists were scared that he was going to die, so they had moved him to another cell for treatment and recovery… that meant he needed to go left.

He wasn't wearing his normal heavy boots; he'd forgone them for something softer, so his footsteps wouldn't alert his enemies to his presence. For a brief moment he found himself thankful that he was so unnaturally acrobatic and light on his feet. He dashed silently down the hallway, breath held as he slowed to pass a small Dark-Maker bot. The creature almost seemed to shudder as he passed; turning its head as if it had sensed him. Jak stood deathly still, and after a few seconds the bot moved on none the wiser.

The youth didn't risk exhaling right away. He waited until he was a fair distance away before relaxing, and he cautiously peeked around a corner. The next hallway was full of debris. He figured silently to himself that the earthquakes must have caused some serious damage to the building. He carefully made his way past another Dark-maker bot and over some rubble.

A few close calls and several broken hallways later he found himself where he wanted, and also didn't want, to be. The door ahead of him would lead to the 'procedure room'. That strange, elevated platform surrounded by deep pits. Numerous empty cells lined the walls beyond the pits. He'd been housed in one of those cells for a short time before the experiments started to take: once they realized he wasn't going to die of Eco poisoning and was actually absorbing the Dark Eco, they moved him to a more permanent 'residence' deeper in the prison.

He could feel himself trembling, and he forced himself to stop for a moment and breath. He had to calm his nerves before he lost his hold on the invisibility. Dark Eco was flowing inside him, powering his camouflage, and he concentrated on slowly channeling it without allowing it to take control. '_Balance_' He told himself, _'Keep in control.__ Get Keira out. __Keep in control...'_It certainly didn't help that he could feel the corruption in his chest pulse with a dull ache, evidence that Seem was right about how channeling clearly made it worse. _'Figure it out later...__Balance. __Get Keira out. __Keep in control...'_

With a quiet whoosh the electronic doors shifted open and he hoped that no one had noticed, or if they did they would chalk it up to a mechanical malfunction. He was completely cloaked, he knew, and they shouldn't even be able to detect his heat signature… but he was still nervous. The cloud of musty, dirty air that filtered through his lungs almost made him choke, and the thick smog of old residue Dark Eco instantly caused a migraine.

He could hear the faint call of an alarm in the distance, and knew that Ashelin and Torn were wreaking havoc on the prison from the upper levels. That didn't stop him from being cautious… no doubt there would be straggling metal heads and Dark-Makers… He also wasn't sure Erol would leave his bait completely unattended.

Slowly he crept into the room, and felt the ramp underneath him shift slightly. He steadied himself, and looked down. There must have been a sewer line that had ruptured during one of the quakes, because the normally endless abyss that surrounded the platform was glistening some distance down with dark, murky water. The ramps leading down disappeared into its depths.

He cursed silently as he made his way across the gap and further into the room. The lights above hadn't detected him, thus they hadn't flickered on, so he gave his Eco enhanced eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. From what he could tell there were no patrolling bots, and Erol was nowhere to be seen. The area was dark and silent.

His eyes shifted to the center of the enormous room. There was a large, white machine - the same machine that they had used to experiment on him the day he escaped – connected to a waist high operating table. The stained metal table that should have been empty housed a motionless, pale figure.

Keira.

Jak rushed across the room, caution all but forgotten. Fear gripped at his thoughts, as he approached… she wasn't conscious. He stopped at her side and hunched over her delicate form. He held out two unsteady fingers to feel for any sign of life.

She had a pulse, and she was breathing… he could see the frozen wisps of breath escape her slightly blue lips… he hadn't realized it was so cold until that moment. Then he realized there was a dark, growing bruise that had formed on the side of her face from hairline to jaw… The socket of her eye was bruised and dark. Erol must have struck her to knock her unconscious.

"Shit…" Jak whispered quietly, all but forgetting his concentration, which caused his invisibility to melt away. He no longer had the fortitude to hold it, but it didn't matter to him now. A few dim lights flickered on as laid his morph gun against the side of the table for easy access, and he dragged one gentle hand down the side of her face, "Keira…?" She didn't reply. He went to work figuring out a way to break her from the shackles. They were mechanically latched, and he feared messing with the computer might accidentally activate the machine or draw unwanted attention, so he carefully dug into his Dark Eco reserves to give him strength enough to rip them away. Within seconds her right arm was free, and he hastily reached over to her left.

"Why, hello Jak…" A cold synthetic voice rang from behind him. It echoed off the chamber's walls, sending a chill down the youth's spine. There was a sharp clang as mechanical feet touched down against the metal floor below them.

Jak's back stiffened, and he slowly turned to face the cyborg. His anger flashed, but he reminded himself to stay calm: Keira needed to be safe before he let himself loose to rip the deranged machine man limb from limb.

Erol was standing near the edge of the platform, just by the door the young warrior had entered from. He slammed his mechanical hand into the keypad, and a flurry of white hot sparks erupted, effectively jamming the door closed, "I don't really trust you to be by yourself, so let's make sure we don't get interrupted."

Jak struggled a moment, pushing back his Dark Eco and switching his focus to his Light Eco. If he could slow down time… but it was getting difficult. He could feel it now – the corruption – breaking his hold. It was taking a lot more effort to latch onto and channel his Eco. It had been that way ever sincee he fell of the balcony, ever since his last transformation.

There was a sudden loud beep from the console that startled him completely out of his focus. The familiar feminine computer voice that still haunted his nightmares called out, "Strong surge of Light Eco detected. Activating Dark Eco injection cycle."

"Oh, That was a mistake." Erol grinned viciously, "I had a feeling you'd try something sneaky like that."

Jak panicked as the machine behind him whirled to life, and the girl on the slab stirred with the commotion, "What… where… Jak…?"

He knew that even if he was able to concentrate on his Light Eco to slow down time, there was still no way he'd be able to free Keira and get her to safety before the Dark Eco ripped into her. His powers were too sluggish. Instead he did what he could to shield her, hunching protectively over the table, his body between her and the machine.

He didn't resist as the glaringly bright bolts of Dark Eco erupted from the machine and struck his back. He knew the best chance of keeping any stray bolts from striking her would mean he would actively have to reach out and absorb everything.

It hit him like a barrage of bullets, ripping into ever cell, and flowing through every vein. He pulled it in, and let out a strained, pain induced cry. Keira's eyes grew wide as she realized what was happening, and she jerked defiantly against her restraints. She noticed that her right arm was free, and she was about to reach out to Jak in some form of support.

Jak noticed, and vigorously shook his head, "Don't!" He barked, clenching his sharpening teeth, "... Don't touch…"

She pulled her hand back and covered her mouth to hush the sob that escaped her lips as tears welled up in her eyes. After a few agonizingly long seconds, the bright crackling purple jolts of Eco died out, and the machine stopped rotating.

"Dark Eco Injection Cycle complete." The machine reported.

Jak remained hunched over the mechanic; eyes clenched tightly shut and desperately gasping for air. He was trembling, fingers white knuckled as they wrapped around the edges of the table. Keira once again reached her free hand up to touch the young warrior above her, but had to jerk back when a small, crackle of Dark Eco jumped from him to her. It burned her, and she cringed slightly as she squirmed against her remaining shackles.

Jak groaned, and weakly yanked himself way from her, swaying slightly before slowly slumping down against the table. He pulled his hands to his temples, fingers digging hard against his scalp, and brought his knees close to his chest. He curled in on himself as tight as he could before letting out a quiet, almost silent whimper. Jittery bolts of Dark Eco continued to dance across his body as he wheezed.

"JAK?!" Keira shrieked loudly and she desperately pulled, bending her neck awkwardly to try and catch sight of him. Instead her emerald eyes drifted over to numerous Dark-Maker bots and Metal-heads that seemed to materialize from the darkness, almost slithering down the walls from the ceiling.

"Well!" Erol huffed menacingly, "That was certainly exciting, wasn't it?"

"I…" Jak's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, "I'm going to... I'm sorry Keira... please... get away..."

The cyborg cocked his head slightly, unable to make out what the young warrior was mumbling, "Speak up Jak!"

A low, angry growl escaped Jak's throat as he fought with all his strength to keep control.

The strike team had followed Jak just a few minutes after he leapt through the Precursor ring. They didn't have the benefit of his invisibility, so they were prepared to fight their way through any opposition that lay in their way. Luckily Vin had managed to hack into the lower level's security system, disabling any alarms they might trip. He had mentioned he'd try and get access to the camera's to provide support, though he hadn't been quite successful in that endeavor yet. For everything to go smoothly, the mission had to be done fast. Hopefully Jak had made it to Keira, and would be ready as they cleared the path back for them.

Damas cursed, wincing slightly as his senses were bombarded by the derelict state of the building, and the musty tainted air that it housed. It caused an instant, dull ache just behind his eyes, and he knew that his companions were in similar states. He cleared his throat, and shook his head to focus his thoughts.

"Nasty, isn't it?" Daxter whispered quietly from his shoulder, baring his teeth as he growled slightly, "It was a lot worse back when I managed to spring Jak from this hell-hole."

Damas nodded, and looked back at the two men behind him. Sig and Samos looked as though they were ready to move on, despite their obviously similar discomfort.

Hastily the two wastlanders pressed themselves to each side of the doorway, and Sig carefully took a glance into the hall. There was a solitary Dark-Maker bot shuffling away from them, and he held up one finger to indicate its presence. Damas nodded, drawing his gun up as he expertly pulled himself around the corner. He opened fire, tearing into the unsuspecting creature.

It let out a surprised roar as it tried to turn and face its attacker. Damas was relentless, however, and after a few seconds it slumped defeated to the floor. The old king cocked his head, and Sig danced around the corner to take point and lead the small group onward.

Several more Dark-Makers and a few Metal-heads bounded through the hallways toward them as they moved on, the sound of their first scuffle alerting the creatures to their approach. Sig and Damas managed to take them down, one by one, all the while shielding the non-combative Sage from the occasional stray shot or swipe of the claws.

Damas received a small wound from a clever Metal-head that managed to catch him while they were distracted with dispatching two Dark Maker's in a decrepit hallway. It had lunged up from behind the rubble and lashed out, striking the wastlander across the neck and shoulder. A few inches further and it would have cut clean through his jugular, and he let out a quick sigh of relief. He managed to swing the butt of his gun around just in time to crack against the creature's skull. The familiar clink of gem bouncing across the floor indicated it's death.

Samos reacted instantly to heal it, but Damas shook his head, "Later. I can manage until we're done." The Sage reluctantly nodded, and followed without complaint as they moved on.

Finally they came to a sealed door, and Sig placed one palm against the small computer to open it. It didn't budge, and he frowned with frustration, smacking the console a few more times.

That's when they heard Keira's panicked scream ring out from the room beyond, "JAK!?"

"Get it open, now!" Damas ordered desperately, raising his gun.

Sig nodded using a sharp end of his Peacemaker to jam into the crevice of the door. He used all of his weight in an attempt to pry it open. It took several long seconds before it even began to budge, and as soon as he could get his fingers through the gap he abandoned the gun and gripped tightly at the edges. Samos feebly helped, pulling the other side of the door in the opposite direction.

A few grunts later and the door slowly shifted open, and they burst their way into the room, weapons ready.

Damas gasped as he took in the sight before him. A large collection of Dark-Makers and Metal-heads were crawling down the walls in the distance, slowly making their way toward the center of the room. There was an elevated platform, surrounded by a deep pit filled with water, and the dim, flickering lights above them cast sinister shadows all across the room.

The platform housed three figures. Erol's massive frame was slowly approaching a metal table of sorts, similar to the one Jak was strapped to in the Terrafomer, only instead of the young warrior, Keira was squirming anxiously against its restraints.

Daxter let out a sharp gasp just next to Damas's ear, "Oh, crap! Jak!"

Jak was hunched awkwardly and visibly shaking. He was clearly in immense pain as long, crackling bolts of Dark Eco jumped across the floor around him. From the way it looked, he had been caught off guard by an attack from behind while trying to free the mechanic.

Erol heard the ottsel, and turned on his heel. He bared a sadistic grin, "Welcome to the party! So glad you could come!"

Damas aimed his blaster at the cyborg only to be surprised when a thick, mucus like liquid dripped down just in front of his face. His eyes shot upward, and he let out a startled groan when he spied a collection of glowing yellow eyes and skull gems just a few feet above them. The large, dangerous creatures tensed, preparing to lunge at the new prey below.

Sig and Damas turned their fire upward, blasting apart the immediate threat. They then quickly dashed across the ramp ahead of them, taking aim at several more leaping creatures in an attempt to avoid being ripped to shreds.

Samos wasn't quite quick enough to join the two wastelanders, and was tackled hard from above. He let out a startled cry and he felt sharp, needle like teeth latch onto his shoulder.

"Dammit!" Sig raced forward and dropped down to pry the squirming creature off the sage. He managed to shove it away before opening a few point blank shots to finish it off.

Samos let the wastelander hoist him up, ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder. His internal Green Eco would go to work on its own, and he'd hopefully have time to worry about it later.

Erol smirked as the little rescue party was quickly becoming over-run, and he turned his attention back to his own quarry. Jak was panting heavily, completely vulnerable, "What's the matter, Jak? You used to love those little treatments, didn't you?"

The youth suddenly lunged forward, and a deep, guttural roar echoed loudly throughout the room. It caught everyone off guard, and even the Dark-Makers and metal-heads were startled into a sudden stillness.

Erol's eyes went wide as Jak tackled him at the waist, his unnatural strength knocking the cyborg clean off his feet and throwing him several feet. It left him speechless as tumbled backward, the sharp, jagged metal that had been grafted to his shoulder cracking and breaking against the grating in the floor.

Jak scrambled to his feet and let out another rage fueled scream, eyes wide and pitch black. He hunched painfully as his Dark form took over, and dangerous, purple streams of Dark Eco erupted forcefully from his contorted frame. His horns and claws ripped themselves free, and his fangs grew long and sharp.

For several seconds no one moved, and the Dark Eco creature before them hastily shifted its gaze back to the mechanical man in front of him. Dark Jak took a deep breath, tensed his muscles and leapt faster than any of them could see.

Claws wrapped themselves around Erol's jagged from, and the cyborg cried out loudly as he instinctively tried to backhand his attacker away. Dark Jak was thrown off balance only momentarily, and he quickly recovered and rushed on all fours at his now scrambling prey.

The room erupted into action. Many of the Metal-Heads and Dark-Makers shifted their focus to Dark Jak, attempting to flank him from above and behind. The two wastelanders took the opportunity to dash madly to the center of the room, opening fire on anything that stood in their way, and providing cover for transformed youth... all the while trying to make sure their confused and angry friend wouldn't loose interest in Erol and come after them.

Daxter had jumped from Damas's shoulder and ducked and weaved his way through the firefight toward Keira. He climbed to her side, latching his small furry fingers onto her free palm, "Hey babe, cavalry's here…"

Keira let out a sob, squeezing the ottsels hands tightly, "Jak... He…"

Daxter nodded, shifting his gaze back to his best friend. Dark Jak was currently ripping himself free from a Metal Head that had managed to get through the wastlander's covering fire, claws embedded deeply into the monster's flesh. He used his incredible strength to fling the creature at Erol's staggering frame before following in a mad lunge, fangs bared.

"Eh… Yeah…" Daxter turned back to the mechanic, and his eyes fell on the large, nasty bruise that covered half her face, "Holy shit…" His eyes flashed angrily, and his fur stood on end, "That lowlife bastard..."

The sound of shuffling feet against metal met the ottsel's ears, and he instantly turned, teeth bared like a vicious animal in an attempt to intimidate whatever might hurt his long time friend. His growl died out once he realized it was Samos.

"Daddy?" Keira tried to squirm free once again in vain, the heavy, metal shackles digging deep into her wrists. She ignored them, "Daddy... Jak..."

"Shhhhhh." It took everything the Sage had to ignore the damage that had been done to her face, instead he ran his fingers across the control computer's keypad. It was locked, of course, and required a password to unlatch her restraints. He cursed under his breath, and his hand flew down to the small pistol like blaster attached to his hip as he dashed over to her far side. He carefully positioned the barrel of the gun at the shackle's hinge, "I... I don't know if this is going to work..." He glanced worriedly up at his daughter, "Hold still."

She nodded, urging herself not to cringe as a savage roar erupted out from the battle surrounding them. She clenched her eyes shut, and Samos pulled the trigger.

The hinge grew hot and smoldered, but didn't completely give. He fired again, and it finally gave way. Quickly he made his way to her feet, and after just a few moments he was able to help her off the bloodstained slab. She stumbled, weak on her feet, but he managed to hold on to her as she lowered herself to the floor. He pulled her underneath the table, realizing there was no way to safely get her to the exit. Daxter climbed to her shoulder, gently stroking her hair in comfort.

Dark Jak let out a loud, piercing wail, and scrambled chaotically away from his foe, scratching and pulling at his head. That's when the floor suddenly began to shake.

"Oh, what the ever-loving-fuuuu-" Daxter began, interrupted another loud cry from his transformed best friend as the platform below them shifted. The lights flickered, power surging caused by the Earthquake.

Keira groaned meekly at his side, and his eyes instantly snapped to meet hers. She was clearly dazed, and the mechanic shook her head slowly from side to side. Flashes of color from the various blaster shots and stray Eco blasts danced across her eyes, and she quickly snapped them shut,

"You ok?" The ottsel placed his furry palm on her knee, just as Samos used his blaster to dispose of a Metal-head that had wandered too close for comfort.

"My head." Keira gasped, "The shaking... and the flashes... feel sick..."

Daxter nodded, "Hang in there." The otherworldly tears had begun to open up around them, and his eyes jumped back into the fray.

It was just in time to see Erol take advantage of Jak's defenseless position. The Cyborg activated the strange glowing orb in his palm, unleashing the same, devastating Eco he had used during the Terraformer attack.

Daxter could only stand and gape in fear as he watched his friend buckle under the onslaught, cringing as a shocked snarl echoed through the chaotic chamber. Dark Jak wheezed, then roared, struggling against the crackling blue current... then slowly, his twisted body began to absorb it.

Dark Jak let out a yelp turned roar as he hauled himself back to his feet. The corrupted Blue Eco was still flickering across his trembling form, but was quickly dissipating. Dark Eco crackled between his fingers as he lurched forward and rushed carelessly at his foe.

Erol's eyes widened in disbelief that slowly shifted to fear as he realized Dark Jak had somehow withstood the attack, "Impossible!"

The transformed youth violently collided with his prey. The force of the blow knocked Erol clean off his feet and sent both of them spiraling into a rough tumble…

Straight into a tear that had cracked itself open behind the cyborg.

The rift flashed briefly as they vanished into the sheer darkness beyond.

"JAK!" Daxter hastily shot off the mechanic's shoulder and made a mad dash toward the tear, dodging the falling body of a defeated metal-head as he did so.

"No!" Damas had also witnessed the youth's sudden disappearance, and instantly abandoned his current fight. He wasn't far behind the ottsel when there was another sudden flash of colorful light from somewhere above them, and their attention was drawn skyward.

Jak and Erol were flung chaotically from another tear, still tangled in a vicious mess of claws and metal. The cyborg was desperately trying to use his boosters to stay air-born, but Dark Jak was relentless in his attack. Claws and fangs continued to sink and shred as the two fought for dominance, mid air. They slammed hard into one of the far walls and were sent cascading toward the pit below.

There was a loud splash as the two sank into the murky depths, and both Damas and Daxter scrambled to peer down off the side of the platform. Sig cast a concerned glance in their direction, but kept his focus on finishing off the still appearing Metal-Heads that were scurrying about. Even Samos had picked a few off with his little hand blaster, and relief seemed to be in sight as the earthquake finally began to wane, and their numbers appeared to thin.

"I… I don't know if he can swim!" Daxter cried, shifting his eyes up toward the wastlander beside him, "I... not when he's like this! I've never seen him swim when he's like this…"

Damas cursed, and quickly began removing the heavier parts of his armor. Dark form or not, he was not going to let his son drown. He was interrupted when Dark Jak flailed almost helplessly to the surface, gripping haphazardly to the unstable ramp leading up to the platform. He splashed and gasped wildly, attempting to claw and pull his way out of the cloudy, cold water. It was evident that he was completely panicked, and hastily tiring.

Erol emerged seconds later and ripped the squirming youth free from the scaffolding, gripping the back of his armor tightly in his partially damaged robotic hand. He let out another jolt of corrupted Blue Eco, and Dark Jak let out a pained growl, bucking in an attempt to free himself, but the cyborg held him tight as he continued to pump the writhing creature in his hand full of tainted energy.

"Dis...gu...sting fre...ak!" Erol yelled, but his broken, synthetic voice gave away the sheer amount of damage that Dark Jak had caused. He flung the writhing creature in his hands into the startled wastelander that was preparing his own attack against the cyborg.

Damas was flung off his feet and let out a harsh, mangled cry as some of the corrupted Blue Eco crackled free from Dark Jak and over to him. It felt familiar – similar to when he had absorbed and channeled the Blue Eco in the temple – but far more painful. It ripped through him, and he found himself wishing he wasn't a channeler. His body's natural ability to absorb the substance... it was agonizing... but he _could_ channel it, and his instincts kicked in. It took several seconds before his vision returned, his ears stopped ringing... then a thought flashed into existence in his mind: Mar had absorbed far, far more than he had.

Damas's eyes snapped open and he tried to move. His body didn't completely comply, and he found himself unable to do more than support himself on one arm. His blurry vision slowly focused on a gasping, writhing figure just out of his reach. Dark Jak was in an obvious state of shock, trying and repeatedly failing to draw himself to his feet. Every time it looked as though he might, he collapsed, the unique mixture of blood and Dark Eco oozing from his nose and ears.

"M... Mar...!" Damas cried out, his throat felt raw. He urged his legs to move, his arms to raise, but his body refused. He gasped and growled as Erol landed just a few, unobstructed feet from his son. "N...No...!" The injured wastlander desperately called out, forcing himself to his knees. His body was reacting now... the feeling returning... but not quick enough.

Sig's attention left the handful of Metal-Heads that still threatened to bombard him, and he took aim at the cyborg. Just as he was about to pull the trigger he was tackled from behind, and sharp, needle like claws dug and tore into the armor covering his back. His gun practically jumped out of his hands and went sliding across the floor. He felt a few of the slashes break through, hot searing pain erupting from his now broken skin. He knew it wasn't life threatening – he'd been in enough sticky situations to tell – but he needed to break free if he wanted it to stay that way The wastelander rolled, causing the creature to loose it's grip, and he kicked out just as another of the beasts jumped at his leg. He was caught off guard when a third leapt at him from somewhere above, and he clenched his eyes shut... he knew it had a clean shot at his throat. At least it was a warrior's death...

A sharp, sizzling blast shot by above him, the heat damn near searing his skin. His eyes cracked open. Samos was standing a small distance away, blaster aimed. The Sage took another shot, buying the wastelander enough time to shove himself to his feet. Daxter had leapt to his aid as well, and was straddling and pounding his fist into a confused, four legged Metal-Head in a way that would have been humorous if the situation weren't so dire. The Wastlander carefully pried the ottsel from the creatures back, and brought his boot down hard against the glowing skull gem. He ignored the pain that erupted from his newly acquired wounds, carefully pulling the ottsel to his chest to protect him as his eyes instantly darted to where the cyborg was standing over the struggling body of his other friend.

Erol was damaged. Badly. Sparks erupted from every joint, and he moved with a stutter... Large gaping tears in his armor gave way to complicated circuitry. A substance that looked like blood... but was probably something similar to oil oozed down his mechanical frame...

But it didn't stop him from unleashing a bone shattering kick to Dark Jak's side. A loud crack echoed sharply and Dark Jak rolled backwards with a quiet whimper. Erol advanced to deliver another blow, then spat "You...re... beco...ming more trouble... than...you...re wor...th..."

Damas panicked, shoving himself to his feet. He tried to dash to Jak's aid, but collapsed. His body was still fighting off the corrupted Blue Eco. He couldn't reach them. He felt as though he was going to watch as Erol once again executed his son right before his eyes.

Sig made a move to rush the cyborg, but was stopped cold when Erol raised his mechanical hand, blue sparks dancing across it's orb, "D...on't. Move."

Samos took aim, the blaster in his grip shaking slightly in tune with his own hands. He tried to steady himself, but the ground beneath them still continued to shake mildly, and he felt woozy from the rush of Eco that had seeped in with the tears. He did his best and pulled the trigger.

Erol looked stunned at first, but the look slowly shifted to a grin as he turned his attention to the Sage, "Please. That ...pea-sho...oter of you...rs might... work against th...ose pat...hetic, little Metal-head freak...s... but not me."

There was only a split second of silence before a cold, crystal clear voice rang out, "Then how about this!"

Everyone's attention jerked toward Keira as she pulled the trigger on Jak's morph gun. A bright, white hot beam of pure, untamed energy erupted though the air. The shocked cyborg didn't have the slightest chance of escaping the all encompassing blast.

It had the consistency of magma, and at first it seemed to react in the same way as well. It seeped into Erol's wounds, his joints, every open crevice it came in contact with, and it pooled.

Keira wasn't sure Erol could actually _feel_ pain, but it certainly looked like he could... and she didn't even care that she was _glad_ about that, "Asshole."

The group watched with morbid curiosity as the cyborg writhed, slowly stepping backward as the molten hot liquid seemed to settle and 'cool.' His mechanical mouth hung open in shock, and he clawed desperately at his chest. Another step back... tears around them began to fade, slowly crackling out of existence. One by one they began to vanish...

Then the 'magma' erupted in a flash of brilliant color. Blue bolts forced their way free from the machine's body, quickly followed by a harsh blast of red enhanced yellow Eco. It was pure, uncontained violence in every sense of the word.

Erol was flung off his feet, and straight into the same large tear that he and Dark Jak had tumbled into earlier.

Only this time it snapped shut behind him.

The room grew completely silent, and it wasn't until Dark Jak groaned hoarsely that anyone truly snapped back to reality.

Slowly, the transformed youth shuffled awkwardly to his feet, clawed hands scraping against his scalp near his goggles. He staggered, growling inwardly to himself, his attention on no one in particular. It was almost as if he didn't realize that any of them were there.

After a few seconds he began to tremble, and Dark Eco began to free itself from his form in snapping, angry bolts. It was building in strength, swarming inside the shaking youth, completely uncontrolled... Dark Jak screamed.

Only Daxter realized what was about to happen, "Out of the way!" He yelled, "Hide! Jump into the water! RUN!"

No one needed to be told twice. They each scrambled toward whatever edge was closest to them. Sig even managed to retrieve his gun during the retreat, gripping it tightly as he jumped off the platform and down onto the closest ramp. Keira and Samos had jumped off the far side, their bodies splashing loudly into the water below.

Damas's body was still sluggish. He was the last one over the edge, and not a second too soon. There was a deafening shockwave of deadly Dark Eco that erupted above them, snapping and crackling eagerly through the air. It only lasted for a few seconds, but to everyone present it seemed endless. The bulbs above them flickered and died... the only source of light coming from the glowing purple energy being unleashed by the angry, roaring creature on the platform.

Then it abruptly stopped, hissing into non-existance. For nearly half a minute the room was pitch black, and the only sound came from the shaky breaths of the terrified group of people that were clinging to the ramps.

The lights weakly returned, blinking weakly and casting eerie shadows across everyone's faces. Slowly but surely they each found footholds and poked their heads up over the edge of the platform.  
Dark Jak stood almost unnaturally still, the only movement in his body caused by his deep, uneven breathing. His pitch black eyes seemed to be staring off at nothing in particular, and the only sound that escaped his lips was the occasional raspy growl that accompanied the absorption of Eco from the dying and dead Dark-Makers and Metal Heads.

No one wanted to move, fearful of drawing his attention… but they also knew that they needed to get themselves, and Jak, out as quickly as possible so that Torn and Ashelin could put in the retreat. The sounds of shuffling Dark-maker's and Metal-heads had returned somewhere far above them... They could even hear the faint echoes of the fighting that was still taking place, and the sooner they blew this place sky high, the better.

Finally Daxter heaved himself onto the platform, careful to avoid the seeping Dark Eco from the slowly disintegrating monsters that lay sprawled across the floor. He carefully approached his friend, and placed a steady hand on the back of his calf as he peeked around to look into his face. The ottsel frowned when Dark Jak gave no reaction to the touch, "Hey buddy…"

Still no response, and Daxter slowly scampered around to face his friend completely. He noticed that the others were all glancing up and over the edge to watch, and he gave them a look suggesting they should all stay where they were, "It's all over now… time to change back."

Dark Jak continued to stare blankly, the only change in his demeanor being slightly harsher breathing. Daxter took the chance of climbing up to his usual perch on the youth's shoulder, "Come on Jak… we… we gotta…" He caught his breath when he took a moment to study his friend's features more thoroughly. From his viewpoint on the floor he hadn't been able to see the creeping veins of Dark Eco that were making their way up Jak's neck beneath his scarf. With each beat of the young warrior's heart they pulsed and spread further across the skin, slowly making their way toward his face.

"Shit! No no no!" Daxter cried, yanking roughly at Jak's loose scarf, "Stop it… Jak, snap out of it! Wake up… Don't let it win!"

Keira couldn't keep herself from shoving away from her father, and sloppily dashing up the ramp and onto the platform. Samos let out a quiet cry he made a hasty grab at her, only to sway off balance and topple back into the water.

Damas saw the young mechanic sprint up the opposite ramp and let out a muffled grunt as he followed suit, eager to protect both his son and her if the transformed youth decided to lash out. Sig slowly followed, weapon in hand but not aimed, and at a far enough distance he'd be able to react.

Dark Jak's back was facing Keira, and she stopped herself a fair distance away, "Jak?"

If he could have, Daxter would have paled as he actually felt his friend's muscles tense underneath his paws. Dark Jak had definitely heard her. The ottsel turned to face her and shook his head, silently demanding that she stay away.

She ignored him and took a few shaky steps forward, "Jak?"

Dark Jak's bloodied ear twitched and a weak growl bubbled up from deep inside his throat. He turned to face her, slightly swaying as he hunched forward. His lips parted to bare his fangs like an animal giving a frightened warning, and fingers uncurled slightly, claws prepared.

A split second later the transformed youth lunged forward, pitch black claws glistening as they sliced through the air. Daxter tumbled off his shoulder with a yelp, and Damas rushed to place himself between the youth and the Mechanic. Keira froze and snapped her eyes shut in fear. She let out one, small cry.

Sig swore and took aim, firing once at his twisted friend in an attempt to stop the seemingly inevitable bloodshed.

The mechanic slowly cracked her eyes open and gasped loudly. She pulled a hand to her lips in surprise, her gaze settling on her 'attacker' from over Damas's shoulder.

Dark Jak stood completely still, deadly claws hovering inches from Damas's chest. Sig's shot had missed, having been aimed just ahead of the youth to account for his movements.

Everyone held their breath. The twisted youth was trembling, his pitch black eyes completely, and utterly focused on Keira's face. He looked even paler than usual, the vein like pattern of Dark Eco beneath his skin pulsing across his neck and up over his cheek. A deep seated, very confused frown tugged at the corner of his lips, his mouth cracked slightly open as he wheezed through his sharp, dagger like teeth. Concern. It was plastered across his strange, surreal features.

Dark Jak took a slow, deliberate step forward, his hand twitching slightly as he curled his clawed fingers inward. He carefully drew his knuckles up toward Keira's face.

Damas resisted the urge to stop him. Dark Jak didn't even seem to realize the wastelander was there, his attention was so focused on the young mechanic. His actions suggested a strange, unreal sense of recognition... extremely similar to how he had treated Daxter back in the Terraformer.

No one moved an inch, except for Dark Jak. He awkwardly, but gently, drew his knuckles down the bruised and battered side of Keira's face. She winced slightly, which seemed to distress him immensely, and he yanked his hand back in full blown fear. His inky eyes scrunched closed, and he turned hastily away, gasping for air heavily. He hunched over, and let loose a startled, angry growl.

"Jak...?" Keira cautiously reached out, ignoring Damas's slight protest. Her fingers brushed against Dark's Jak's back.

He instantly recoiled, pure anger flashing across his face. Anger that wasn't directed at anyone_._He stumbled forward, eyes darting back and forth, eagerly taking in every inch of the large, dim room. He ignored every living being in his increasingly frantic search.

Finally he grew still as his pitch black orbs settled on the elevated metal slab near the center of the room... and pure rage took over. Daxter tried to talk to him, tried to ask him what he was doing, but Dark Jak didn't hear a word. He didn't feel Daxter try and grab his leg, didn't notice when the ottsel let go. He was completely lost to the world around him.

He tore into the table, claws sinking deep into the cold, stained metal. He loudly roared as he ripped it apart, piece by piece. The sharp, jagged metal sliced into his palms, but he completely ignored the flowing, tainted blood that seeped from his wounds. Small, weak bolts of Dark Eco jumped between him and the injection machine, so he flung himself into that as well.

Daxter was only a few feet behind his friend, but couldn't bring himself to approach. He watched, tears welling up in his eyes as Dark Jak took out every ounce of frustration on the table that had tormented him for so many years. The sounds that escaped his transformed friends lips were like nothing he had ever heard come from him before. It was pain... but not in the physical sense. It was pure, unfiltered anguish.

A few, unbelievably slow minutes later he was... done. Dark Jak stood, panting and exhausted, over a heap of twisted, broken metal. Every inch of the table sat mutilated at his feet. He took a shaky step backward and fell to his knees, gripping weakly at his chest. His body shuddered painfully, and his bones creaked as they began to shift and jerk back into place. He groaned quietly, his skin and hair regaining their normal colors.

Only, he didn't turn completely back. He glared down at his hands, and short black claws refused to fully recede. He could still feel the small remnants of his horns, sensitive and aching, as they broke from his skull. His eyes weren't completely black, but cloudy, and it effected his vision.

The rest of his senses were in complete chaos. He could smell every ounce of blood and Eco in the room, and it made him heave uncontrollably. He could hear every murmur and breath his friends made, and it echoed painfully between his ears. He could _taste_ the Dark Eco in the air, and his skin was hyper sensitive. It was wrong. Everything was wrong. He tried to force himself back to normal, but couldn't. Pain erupted in his chest and he cried out, shivering.

Daxter was the first one at his side, and the small, frail ottsel looked fearfully up at his friend.

"I.. I can't..." Jak breathlessly gasped. His eyes were wide, almost unaware, "Dax... Dax I can't..."

* * *

**Author's note: **Oh, man guys, please don't hate me for ending it there! Let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter 15

**Authors note: **Hello everyone! Sorry for taking so long on this chapter. It's property tax time, and for me that means work's been murder.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

ShiroHichi891: No worries! I understand that sometimes people don't get to read or review right away, in no way does that mean you suck! :D I'm just glad you enjoyed the fight scene... I always fear that they aren't well written!

Montala: New reader/reviewer! Hello! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far... and no worries, I'll keep it going 'till the end. We're on the final act now, and there's no way I can abandon this so far in.

JayneParker: OMG thank you. It's super flattering to know you enjoy it that much. But hey, No crying 'til the end! :P

Katpet: Haha, Thanks again for reviewing so consistently. Erol's like a cockroach... it's hard to tell when he'll show up XD

Peek-a-bloody-boo: I try! I hope I'm able to keep your interest for sure. I'm sure hope I don't let ya down if you're that addicted :)

M-Angel05: Yup, and now we're on the home stretch!

Shaveza: No more dangling! And yeah, I was determined for Keira to get her fair go at Erol. She deserves it.

Oblique Strategies: Thank's again, i'm glad you found it intense. I was hoping to make it exciting!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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It had taken far more time than they would have liked, but the strike team had finally managed to make their way back to the portal. Jak had been in an awkward state of shock the entire time, and had to be half carried, half led by Damas, while Sig had taken the initiative to help Keira. She insisted on casting concerned glances over the wastelander's shoulder toward Jak every chance she got, but her own discomfort was evident. Her skin was cold and clammy, and her bruised eye socket had begun to swell.

As soon as they were through, the call went out to Ashelin and Torn. Vin had taken the time to evacuate the nearby city sectors, knowing full well how out of hand Jinx's explosives could get. From what he could tell, there had been minimal casualties to the KG, but Torn had taken a nasty blow from a Dark Maker, and was incredibly irritable. It would take them a bit of time to clear the blast zone and settle any issues that would arise, and they agreed to head to the hub once they were done.

The Eco construct's large holographic head turned his attention to the exhausted group that just moments before crashed through the portal and into his computer hub. Keira had stumbled slightly, and leaned heavily against one of the consoles. She was being comforted by Tess. There was a bit of confusion and possibly a concussion caused by the nasty blow to her head. He noted that she was shivering, but so were the others. The prison must have been without any source of heat, and it looked like they had all gone for a swim. Despite all of that, she seemed relatively fine, and he let out an internal 'sigh' of relief.

Vin then shifted, spying Samos. The Sage was catching his breath. His clothes were bloody, and upon further inspection it looked as though he'd taken a nasty bite to the shoulder, but his internal Eco had already closed the wound. He grunted as he straightened his back, then slowly heaved his way toward his daughter to check on her.

Then there were the wastelanders. Sig's back was covered in blood, and there were a few superficial scratches and bruises littered across his massive arms. Damas actually looked a bit worse, despite the fact that his neck wound didn't look as serious as his comrade's. His skin was slightly pale, and he had dark bags under his eyes. He almost looked like he was about to be sick, but was too distracted trying to settle the squirming youth that had harshly freed himself from his grasp.

_Jak_.

It was Jak that gave Vin the most pause... he was curled up defensively under one of the computer consoles, hiding as much of his form behind his arms as possible. It didn't stop the Eco construct from noticing the short black claws or horns... and it certainly didn't stop him from detecting the wildly fluctuating vitals and levels of Eco in his system. Vin had seen blurry old security footage in the grid of Jak's dark form, but this was different - haggard and half formed. Jak's brainwaves suggested a mix of anxiety, exhaustion, and pain. He shoved Damas away with a low growl, but it didn't really sound threatening… it sounded scared. After several long seconds the commotion drew everyone's attention toward them.

"Mar, please…" Damas nearly pleaded, his normally stoic and strong demeanor on the verge of collapse. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to help, and certainly didn't like seeing Jak in so much agony. For a split second the young warrior looked up apologetically at his father, then ducked his gaze away. It was as if he was having only brief moments of clarity surrounded by chaos.

"It's too… ugh…" Jak dug at his scalp, and took panicked, short breaths, "Too… it's too loud…"

Samos quickly shoved his way past the dumbstruck group, and forcefully snagged the youth's clawed and damaged hands from his head. He dug his heel in and pulled the youth from his hiding place with a surprising amount of success. Jak objected, and attempted to yank himself free with a tiny, snappy bolt of Dark Eco, but the Sage held strong, "_Look at me_."

The young warrior squirmed, eyes still clenched shut as he shook his head, "Stop… Stop… I can't…"

"Jak, Look at me!" Samos loudly demanded, squeezing the youth's shaking palms. He ignored the Dark Eco tainted blood, but was careful to avoid the sharp, black nails. "Look at me this instant!"

This seemed to startle Jak enough to catch his attention, a solid few seconds of recognition crossing his features. He blinked his murky eyes, wincing at all the bright lights that surrounded him, but stayed silent as he looked almost pleadingly for help.

"I know it's not quite the same…" Samos began, much more collectively, his voice low and soothing, "Dark Eco is inherently much more difficult, I'm sure..." He paused as Jak tried to pull himself away again in vain, "…But you must take control."

Jak's look shifted to one of frustration, and he sneered, "Just go away!"

Samos ignored him, simply shifting so he was sitting. He had yet to let go of Jak's hands, "Cross your legs, back straight."

Annoyance and anger flashed through the youth's eyes momentarily before he realized the Sage wasn't going to relent. He discontentedly complied, slowly pulling one leg over the other and straightening his back as well as his trembling form would allow. The residue Dark Eco from the 'injection' and subsequent transformation caused his muscles to protest, and try as he might, he had to remain somewhat hunched over. His struggle was painfully obvious to everyone present.

Even Daxter found himself at a loss for words as he stood at the edge of the computer console. He turned away, ashamed that he couldn't do anything to help his best friend. Tess took one of his hands in hers, and looked at him in a way that asked if there was anything she could do. Daxter shook his head, returning his gaze to the scene playing out before them. It felt so wrong that that they were all just standing there, dumbstruck and gaping.

Keira had yet to take her eyes off Jak, and was biting uneasily at her bottom lip. She felt like this was all her fault. If she hadn't been so easily taken by Erol… if she had managed to get away on her own… Jak wouldn't have had to come save her. He wouldn't have absorbed all that Dark Eco, wouldn't have lost contro, and wouldn't have changed into...

Even with the warnings and explanations she wasn't prepared for what she saw at that moment. Jak's transformed state was... She couldn't help but shudder. He had lunged at Erol with such hated and rage that it only continued to remind her of how different he really was from the boy she used to know. Of course, she knew she just had to accept that – she couldn't blame him when the only reason he'd lost control was because he was trying to save her. Erol had done it on purpose, after all, he'd said himself that he was trying to screw with Jak… trying to _break_ him. Though she couldn't help but smirk… it was obvious that the results weren't exactly what the cyborg was expecting. Jak had literally torn him apart, and if it weren't for the corruption, or that stupid messed up Blue Eco, she bet Erol wouldn't have stood any semblance of a chance.

That thought was actually pretty terrifying.

As scared as she was, she was also determined to stand by him. He had stopped himself from hurting her. He _had_ recognized her, deep down... She saw the fear in his eyes, the familiarity. It didn't matter how terrified she had been, it didn't matter how terrified she still was. She knew that he was even more so.

"Jak, listen to me. I'm having a very hard time sensing your Eco... It's not acting as it should at all, and I need to know what happened before we arrived." Samos directed calmly, eyes dead set on the boy in front of him. Jak only replied with a harsh groan, and shook his head, unable to focus on the Sage's words. He still tried to pull himself free, but Samos refused to let go, "Jak! I need to know what happened so I can figure out how to help you!"

The mechanic took a shaky step forward, and crouched down next to her father. She brushed away the dizzy spell that hit, and placed one hand on the Sage's shoulder, "Daddy, Erol… He was going to use the Dark Eco to kill me. Jak showed up and got one of my shackles off…" She paused, trying to think through her pounding headache, "It's hard to... I remember waking up, and Jak looked so freaked out. I heard the machine's computer say that it was activating... he protected me from the Dark Eco by absorbing it all." She closed her eyes and shook her head, a few tears leaked down her cheek, "He put himself between me and the machine... he told me not to touch him."

Samos's eyes widened as he turned his gaze toward his daughter, "Erol was going to..." His green hued skin practically paled as his mind played with the information, and he grew terrified as he imagined the savagely gruesome end his daughter would have met had Jak not interfered... had Jak not...

The Sage's eyes hardened immediately, "Keira, how much Dark Eco did Jak absorb?"

Keira shook her head, desperately trying to hide a sob that wormed it's way from her throat, "I don't... It was a lot. It felt like it took forever."

Jak jerked suddenly, and let out a sudden gasp. It instantly drew their attention back to him. He murmured something they couldn't understand, and clenched his sharpened teeth together. At least the corrupted Eco that had snaked it's way across his face had receded somewhat, though it was still visible just underneath his scarf, "Arrgh…. I can't… I can't change back…"

"Jak, calm down, look at me..." Samos soothed, squeezing Jak's palms. His fingers burned slightly, but he was unconcerned. His body was naturally resistant to the trace amounts of Dark Eco in the boy's blood, and he'd be able to heal himself with his Green Eco later. "Your Eco is incredibly unstable right now, and it's reacting to your emotions. You don't need me to tell you what that means." He paused, demanding the youth's attention, "No. Stop squirming. Look at me. Focus on me."

Samos's brain was practically flipping in his skull… for all of his years of wisdom, he honestly didn't know what to do. Jak's current unstable state was obviously caused by a myriad of circumstances - none of which were going to be easy to tackle. If he were just dealing with the physical side of things: there was the corruption that was no doubt hindering his ability to access or channel his Eco efficiently, then there was the fact that the boy was clearly exhausted and still dealing with lingering injuries caused by his fall from the balcony. His body and mind had to be in shock, caused by the sheer amount of pure Dark Eco that was suddenly introduced to his system, adding to whatever amount was already there.

Which led into the mental aspect of things: The procedures that had been used were completely _invasive_. It wasn't the same as when a channeler or Sage drew in energy or channeled normally… this was forced. Dark Eco had been flooded into his system for so long under the Baron's 'hospitality' that it had changed his very being. It had left him scarred and broken, with memories he no doubt wanted to shove into the deepest recesses of his mind. Miraculously, he'd more or less managed to escape with his sanity somewhat intact, and find peace. The Sage could only imagine what it was like to finally feel safe and secure, only to have everything come crashing down in such a short amount of time.

That's when Samos realized just how quickly things had escalated. It had only been a handful of days since he stood in Ashelin's chambers, trying desperately to convince her something curious was happening with the earthquakes and shooting stars.

For Jak, that meant everything that had taken years to mend had suddenly been shattered in a matter of days - A week, at the most. His confident, hard-headed demeanor had hastily cracked and fallen away, leaving behind a vulnerable core. Jak was losing himself all at once, and due to the corruption, the Sage feared there would be nothing left to rebuild.

Samos thought back to his harsh words back in Onin's tent, and how he had relayed them as if it was matter of fact... simple. Of course, it was anything but. It was entirely different to see the young man fall apart right in front of him, and he cursed inwardly at himself for being such a distasteful snob. The old soothsayer had warned that Jak's future was shrouded in darkness, many of his possible fates unraveling far too quickly for her to predict...

The Sage huffed mumbling under his breath, "Not if I can help it…" He gently squeezed his charge's hands once again, and closed his eyes to get a better sense of the internal battle that raged in front of him, "Remember when I first taught you to channel Eco? I taught you how to control the ebb and flow of power. I taught you how to manage the strain… and when it got too difficult, I taught you how to let it go."

"_What_…?" Jak's tense form abruptly shifted as he tilted his head and stared through half lidded eyes. He was clearly trying to listen to the Sage, but Samos was unsure on how much was actually getting through.

"You were so young. Too young to be as talented as you were…" Samos almost smiled, "All that power at a child's fingertips, all that skill… all you ever did was use it to help people. You had fun with it – got in trouble on more than one occasion of course, but you never once abused that power… the only thing you ever seemed to struggle with was sitting still."

Jak's perplexed stare never left the Sage's face, but he seemed to be catching on a bit. It gave Samos a bit of hope, and he smiled fondly at the boy

"You used to hate when I made you meditate, and I know you let that practice go a long, long time ago. But right now, I need to you try. Close your eyes." Samos calmly instructed.

"Samos..." Jak breathed, cringing as a machine near him let out a quiet steady beep. He cocked his head to try and drown out the sound, "I... Gol... I don't want to..." He snarled in the general direction of the persistent sound, "I don't want... I don't want to turn into Gol..." His eyes snapped open and focused angrily on the offending computer console, "Aaarrghhh... It's too... LOUD!"

The Sage shook his head, and carefully forced Jak's attention away from the machine, "That's not going to happen. Now, close your eyes."  
***

Some time later Jak was passed out, back against the side of a computer console and head lolled slightly to one side. It had taken a considerable amount of time, and an equally considerable amount of patience, but Samos had finally managed to get the youth to return to his senses – at least somewhat anyway - and after a bit of strained effort Jak had _nearly_ managed to change back completely. The small, sensitive horns on his skull were hidden beneath his thick, messy hair. His eyes were clearer, and his claws had receded almost to the state of normal nails. His cheeks had regained just a bit of color, to everyone's relief, though his pain and exhaustion were ever evident on his features. He looked ill, and the corruption hadn't receded any further down his neck, it's violet tendrils showing just beneath his scarf.

Keira had plopped down next to him, her father insisting that she rest as he took the time to heal everyone in the room. She had her thin, work callused fingers intertwined with his thicker, rougher ones. She didn't sleep, instead keeping a wary eye on her childhood crush. Every time he groaned or mumbled in his sleep she would gently give his hand a squeeze, to prove she was still there. She was careful to avoid reopening the wounds on his hands, but had refused to let go.

Daxter was pacing along the console above them, eyes wandering occasionally to his best friend. He was utterly relieved that Samos had managed to help, but was upset at himself for just standing there stupid. Tess had long since given up on getting him to relax, instead she had turned her attention to helping Vin with preparations for the unavoidable trip up the mountain.

The ottsel wasn't the only one who was deep in thought. Damas was standing at the far side of the room, having brushed aside the Sage's aid until after Sig had been treated. He shared much the same sentiment that Daxter did… he felt useless… and he very much hated feeling useless. He was a king after all, or at least he used to be, and he liked to lead by example. He hadn't felt this powerless and helpless since… well, since his home-world's version of his son had died.

He was also conflicted with his personal feelings for the Sage. He had never bothered to hide his dislike for the man, regardless of the world, and would always feel a sense of betrayal and contempt.

It didn't matter the circumstances. Samos had spirited away his son – and had shown no remorse for the act. Damas could think about it logically all he wanted after all... it really was for the good of the world, and the Sage really hadn't known exactly who Mar was, but that did very little to comfort the wastelander. Compound that with the fact that Samos was rude and arrogant… it was infuriating.

Yet, the Sage had succeeded in where everyone else, even the surprisingly loyal and clever Daxter, had failed. He had finally managed to calm the troubled youth and convinced him to sleep. No easy task, considering.

"Sit." The voice was weary and quiet, yet had succeeded in breaking Damas from his thoughts. His eyes snapped open and down, surprised to see the Samos bleakly glancing up toward him.

"Excuse me?"

"Sit. I'm far too tired to hover right now, and I can't reach your neck from here." Samos replied nonchalantly, motioning for the wastelander to drop down. Damas quickly scanned to rest of the room, but was abruptly stopped when the Sage gave out a stern snort, "Everyone else is taken care of. I knew you wouldn't let me help otherwise. The only ones left are you, Lady Ashelin, and Torn... and I can't very well take a look at them until they get here. So... sit."

Damas rolled his eyes, but was too fatigued to argue. He sighed, and lowered himself to his knees, "I can heal myself..."

"Yes, yes. You can channel. I'm aware." Samos replied, lightly pulling back on the cloth and armor near the wastelander's damaged skin. He 'hmmed' to himself as he held his palm a few inches from the wound, scrunching his brow, "You can't absorb it th..." He paused, breath caught in his throat, "There's something not quite..."

Both the Sage and Damas were struck by a sudden shock as a tiny, static like bolt of Dark Eco jumped between them. Samos instinctively pulled his fingers away, having not suspected that type of reaction at all.

Sig had been dully watching the two, but instantly jumped to attention at the strange phenomenon... it was something he would have expected to happen with Jak, not Damas. "What the hell was _that_?" He stood, and slowly stepped toward his fellow wastelander, "That ain't supposed to happen."

Damas could only shrug, dumbfounded. He'd been slashed and bitten by many a metal-head in his life, and had never been left with any remnants of Dark Eco. Though, he couldn't help thinking it felt familiar...

The Sage quickly regained his wits and cautiously returned his hand to it's previous position, "This type of wound shouldn't leave any..." He grew silent as he focused, "You shouldn't be able..."

There was another twinge of pain, and Damas resisted the urge to pull away. A sudden thought struck, and he pulled back a few of the straps that held the armor secure around his forearm, exposing the deep puncture like scars that marred his skin, "It feels like when Ma... Jak did this, back in the Terraformer... only all over."

"Hmm, let me..." Samos concentrated, sending a gentle pulse of Green Eco into the old king's wounds, "Try to channel this..."

Damas hissed, as an odd contradiction of burning and soothing relief washed over him. Once again a few small jolts of Dark Eco crackled between him and the healer. Regardless, Damas was able to do what he was told, and after a few shaky seconds he pulled the small amount of Eco through his body.

"Interesting..." The Sage grew still, "Also somewhat alarming. I don't recall you coming in contract with any Dark Eco in the prison, and I don't recall Jak actually striking you…"

There was a weak groan from across the room, "...Corrupted Blue Eco..."

Several sets of eyes immediately shifted to Jak, who was staring at Damas through lazy, half opened lids. Even Keira looked startled that he was awake, and she had moved to gently stroke his arm.

Jak just sighed, "I knew... It felt familiar when he..." He pulled his free hand to his chest, and rubbed roughly. His armor had been removed to make him more comfortable, but it only left him to feel pitiful in his current state. He struggled and blinked a few times in an attempt to open his darkened eyes further.

Vin immediately zoomed through the grid and dimmed the overhead lights a bit. He couldn't do much about the flashing consoles, but Jak still seemed to react to his efforts non-the-less. The spider-bot ducked down slightly to acknowledge the youth, "Uh, Sorry. Best I can do."

Jak nodded in gratitude, "Thanks..." He then turned his attention back toward the wastelanders, choosing to ignore the concerned stares coming from his friends, "...It felt familiar when... he got me at the Terraformer..." The youth let out a raspy cough. His throat was raw and his voice cracked slightly, "...But I didn't realize why... because I hadn't felt it in so long... Then when I got my channeling back in the temple and got to..." The corners of his lips broke into a slight, barely noticeable smile before it quickly disappeared back into obscurity, "He somehow got the... Blue Eco to mix with Dark Eco..."

"How the heck did he do that?" Daxter interrupted, easing himself down onto his friend's shoulder. Jak exhaled slightly, happy to accept the familiar weight.

The ottsel discretely gave his friend a pat on the head, then shifted his balance to secure his footing, "I mean, look at what Tess's mods do when she gets them to mix. They make big, _big_ booms."

Jak shrugged, "I don't know..."

Samos stroked his beard with one hand, his mind juggling the possible explanations, "Actually, It makes some amount of sense. I should have suspected something like that…" His other hand was still floating a few inches over Damas's wounds, but his eyes stayed drawn on the young warrior across from them, "It would explain why it had such a devastating effect on you the first time, Jak. You were unable to resist the absorption because of the Dark Eco - then your body attempted to channel it, but couldn't because it was also rejecting the Blue Eco..." he paused, "...which it couldn't do because of the Dark Eco. A vicious cycle of sorts to be sure... Combine that with the fact that Blue Eco must be carefully controlled when channeling, and I can only imagine how your body reacts when it comes in contact with..." He trailed off with a wince, "That must have been rather unpleasant."

"No kidding..." Jak replied with a bit of his old snark, still rubbing his chest, "Hadn't hurt that bad since..." He grew silent, nervously bringing one hand up to rub the back of his neck. He stiffened once his fingers passed over the small, sharp bumps that extruded from his spine.

Keira frowned, bringing herself just a smidgen closer as she gently squeezed his palm. She didn't like how weak his voice was, or how hard he struggled to speak clearly, "Maybe you should go back to sleep, Jak."

Annoyance briefly graced his features, "Can't sleep... Head's all..." He made a wild motion with one hand, and then pulled his hand free from her grasp, sending her an apologetic glance when she huffed. He brought himself to stand with a bit of a wobble, and slowly but surely dragged himself across the room to crouch down in front of his father.

Father. The thought still struck a completely unrecognizable cord in his mind... he shook his head in a hopeless attempt to clear his thoughts, then drew a sharp breath, "I don't... you got hit by the... corrupted Blue Eco too, right? I can't remember..."

Damas sighed, desperately wishing his son would just sit down and rest. He knew it would be a useless argument to suggest it, so he relented and answered without objection, "Actually, that bastard hit _you_ with a very large amount of it, then he threw you into me. I think my body tried to channel it..."

Jak took a moment to filter the information. "Sorry..." He sunk lower to his knees, his spine arching slightly. He couldn't quite keep his back straight without straining himself. He could feel his head growing even fuzzier, but was determined to stay on task, "Samos..." He looked over Damas's shoulder toward the Sage, subduing the sense of dizziness his hyper-active senses caused with each move he took. He outwardly grew irritated as he tried to figure out how to voice his thoughts.

"Hmmm?"

"He's my _dad_..." Each word was hesitant and deliberate. It took a few seconds for the Sage to realize that not only was Jak's mind still hazy, he was also having a hard time enunciating with his altered teeth. It was part of the reason he was pausing so often as he spoke.

Samos slowly nodded, confusion building as he tried to scan Jak's dim eyes for any indication of what he was trying to suggest, "Yes. We've established that...?"

Jak's brow tightened and he let out an exasperated sigh, "He's my dad... He can channel like I used to... I'm going to loose it again... But he's like me, the old me... before the Baron..."

"Yes, that's all quite true… " Samos agreed as he and the wastelander's eyes met, both clearly unable to pinpoint exactly what Jak was getting at, "Though, your abilities far surpass your father's... no offence intended, your Highness."

"None taken." Damas replied, waving his hand to show he wasn't bothered, "My talents with channeling are at most, entirely basic."

"That's not true..." Jak mumbled, "Actually pretty good..."

Daxter was still sitting quietly on his friend's shoulder, and he gave a wide, toothy smile, "Yeah pops, you didn't do too bad in that temple. You zipped around like a pro... well maybe not a pro, I mean, Jak was waaaaayy better, but..."

"I'm sorry Jak, but I fail to see..." Samos interjected, but was startled when he was instantly cut off by the frustrated youth.

"You saw what he did!" Jak growled darkly, voice rising as he grew more flustered, "The Baron... You _watched_..." He pointed a single finger at Damas, "He's like me!"

Samos's eyes widened as something in his mind clicked into place, "Oh… OH. How could I be so… He absorbed it!"

Jak let out a sigh, relieved to be understood despite his clumsy, confused attempts at an explanation, "I think so... I can sense it, and he looks sick..."

"I didn't think..." Samos tapped his temple, obviously deep in thought, "...but I suppose the potential _could_, no, _would_ be there..."

"Are you saying I channeled Dark Eco?" Damas balked, gazing back and forth between his son and the Sage, "The Precursor said I couldn't do that."

"Absorbed." Jak corrected, "Forced to... The Blue Eco..."

"You didn't channel the Dark Eco, not exactly anyway. Your body reacted instinctively to channel the Blue Eco, which can happen with any channeler regardless of skill. It's not efficient, and can be quite dangerous of course; the potential for damage is quite high." Samos took over, giving the youth some much needed reprieve. He motioned descriptively with his hands as he spoke, "Anyway, you channeled the Blue Eco, but that also drew in the Dark Eco. I imagine it was quite painful, and I have no doubt that you would be dead had you been attacked directly with the same severity that Jak was." The Sage returned his scrutinizing gaze to Damas's shoulder as he continued to theorize, "Because it was a much smaller amount, I must assume your body is reacting in a similar way that Jak's did during the Baron's earliest experiments. It's tolerating it for the moment, but…"

"It burns." Jak mumbled, bringing a hand up to scratch his cheek absentmindedly, "It's poison. It'll screw everything up... It's gotta come out. Now."

"What do you...?" Damas questioned, but before he could finish Jak had shifted and steadied his feet, latching on to both of the wastelander's wrists.

"Jak don't!" Daxter objected, realizing too late what his best friend was about to do. He griped Jak's hair tightly and pulled, desperate to stop what was happening, "Stop it!"

Jak ignored the ottsel and moved much faster than his battered body should have allowed, leaving no time for anyone else to interrupt. Dark Eco welled in the youth's eyes, though he resisted further transformation as crackling violet bolts of Eco snapped across the wastelander's skin and into his own. Damas adamantly tried to rip himself free, but Jak's grip was unnaturally strong. It was evident that the youth was being careful not to break the skin, but his altered fingernails still dug roughly.

And just as quickly as it began, it ended.

Damas let out a startled gasp and fell back as soon as he was released. He coughed out a rough curse, and rolled to push himself to his feet. The wastelander hardly noticed as Sig placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"Jak!" Daxter wailed, arms flailing wildly, "You… you… _Stupid_!"

Damas instantly jumped back to attention. Jak had stumbled back, and was currently hunched over on his hands and knees. He was facing away from the wastlanders, but that did nothing to hide the fact that he was shaking. One hand came up to shield his mouth as he let loose a scratchy, hacking series of coughs. Daxter was leaning over his friend's shoulder to glare into his face.

"Jak!" Keira scrambled forward, eyes wide with fear. She went to place one hand on his shoulder, but he pulled himself away from her reach.

"Stop yelling!" Jak demanded with a low, beast like growl. His ears were ringing, "Just stay back... give me a sec..."

Slowly the coughs faded, and he pulled his hand away from his hair hidden face. Blood coated his palm and fingers, only to be transferred to the floor as he steadied himself further. Thick dark splotches appeared on the tile below him as it dripped free from his nose and mouth. He groaned, wiping his face with his knuckles. "Shit..." He carefully maneuvered himself so that he was lying on his back.

"What the hell did you do that for!?" Daxter shrieked, pacing across Jak's chest, "Stupid!"

"Too... loud..." Jak wheezed, eyes pulled tightly shut, "Stop yelling..."

"No!" Daxter kicked, "That was stupid! _You're stupid_!"

Both Damas and Samos had crouched down on either side of the youth, scrambling to make sure he was alright. Everyone was tense for several seconds as Jak seemed to settle, eyes slowly cracking open. They were cloudy, but his natural blue irises still managed to break through. A few tiny sparks of Dark Eco danced across his form, and he let out a quiet groan.

Samos immediately placed a palm across his forehead, "You have a fever. Daxter is right, you know. That was an incredibly idiotic thing to do. You're in no state to be channeling _anything_ right now, never mind Dark Eco..."

Jak almost seemed to break out a cocky smile that was made somewhat unsettling by his sharpened teeth, "Was gonna make him sick... couldn't leave it."

"And what about you!?" Damas snarled, tightly gripping the front of Jak's shirt to give him a shake, "You…!"

Jak smirked, a small glint of sadness bubbling beneath the surface of his eyes, "I'm already messed up... What's a little more... gonna do?" His eyelids began to grow heavy, "Tired…"

Damas huffed angrily as he released his hold, "You are insufferable."

Jak snorted and grinned as he slowly began to drift to sleep, "Yeah..?"  
***

Ashelin had called to inform the group that they would be held up for just a bit longer while they delegated different tasks to the council and the KG. Not even Samos had objected when they all agreed to stay and recuperate at Vin's hub… especially once the construct had pointed out there were a few old blankets in storage, and a small shower that hadn't been used since he had uploaded himself to the grid. It had been a few hours since their escape from the prison, and no one was ready or in any mindset to get up and go.

Vin and Tess were still murmuring among themselves about the traverse up the mountain, with the occasional quip from Sig or Damas thrown in for good measure. Samos was meditating in a corner, eager to regain his strength. His thoughts were scattered, and he was quietly sifting through each one.

Vin had offered up the old cot that was stuffed in his closet, and Keira was sitting at one end with Jak laying curled up next to her. An old pillow was nestled up next to her thigh, and loose, wispy strands of his hair brushed lightly against her stomach as he slept. She had one hand resting on his side, secretly scared he may stop breathing at any moment… Her father had assured her that he was alright for the time being, and that there was no danger of him suddenly up and dying, but she couldn't help the fear. She had never seen him so unstable. It scared her more than his Dark form ever could.

Daxter was curled up on an old pillow that had been placed on the computer console behind them, eyes closed. He wasn't actually asleep... he was too freaked out by the day's events to even think about sleeping. He tossed and turned a bit before letting out a small sigh, and pushing himself up from his makeshift bed.

He slid off the end of the console, landing almost silently on the tiled floor below. Slowly he shuffled his way over to the corner of the room, stopping abruptly in front of the Sage.

"Hey, Grandpa Green..." He was careful to keep his voice just near a whisper... he knew Jak's hearing was all kinds of messed up, and wanted to make sure he stayed clonked out for as long as possible.

Samos didn't bother to open his eyes, "Hmmm?"

"Can I… talk to you? Outside?" Daxter continued, and when Samos cracked open one eye, he jerked a thumb back toward Jak's motionless form. The Sage seemed to understand, and he lowered his legs to follow the ottsel out of the building and onto the elevated street beyond.

Once the door shifted shut behind them, the Sage turned his gaze downward toward the fidgeting rodent. He was surprised to see that Daxter wasn't facing him at all, instead he was standing with awkwardly hunched shoulders, eyes focused solely on the cold, metal ground beneath his feet. His orange fur was frazzled in some places, and matted in others, and his ears were hanging low. Small, furry fingers were wringing nervously.

It was unnerving to Samos to realize how quickly Daxter's facade crumbled away when he wasn't putting up a front for Jak's sake. He cleared his throat and quietly asked, "What is this about?"

"Yeah, I know you hate me..." Daxter began, still avoiding the Sage's gaze, "...and I don't like you either, but most of the time you deserve it."

"Did you honestly drag me out just here to insult me?" Samos rolled his eyes and began to back away.

"Wait! No!" Daxter jerked his head upward, finally making eye contact, "I wanted to say sorry!"

"What?" Samos was flabbergasted, "Why?"

"I was so freaked out! Jak... he's never been _stuck_ like that before. I was always able to snap him out of it or calm him down after one of his... things." Daxter paced, ruffling the fur on the top of his scalp with his hands, "He was doing _better_! I haven't seen him that bad since... shit, he's never been that bad. Even the prison was different..." Daxter groaned, "I ain't gonna lie. I don't like what you put him through... no, I _hate_ what you put him through. You knew what was coming... you _knew_. I will never forgive you for that. I don't understand how he does."

The ottsel grew still for a few moments before he bobbled back and plopped himself into a seated position. His shoulders slumped further, and he picked roughly at a crack in the ground beside him, "But... you helped him this time. I didn't. I panicked... I freaking panicked! Some best friend I am!"

Samos sighed, and slowly lowered himself to sit beside the youth turned ottsel. Daxter looked up at him suspiciously for a few seconds before turning his stare back to the ground beneath his legs.

"I don't hate you." Samos mumbled, stroking his beard.

"What?"

"I don't hate you." The Sage repeated, "I never really hated you. If we're being honest, I guess I would say I just didn't _care_ for you. I knew you were necessary, knew you had to come to the future, so I assumed I just had to tolerate you."

"That's all anyone ever did with me."

"Yes..." Samos thought back to their time in the village. Daxter was a scamp. He was orphaned during a lurker attack at a young age, and had never really been accepted by any of the villagers. He was crude and obnoxious... but now the Sage knew better. He didn't ever think he'd like Daxter, but he had been wrong to treat him the way he had. They all had, "...but not Jak and Keira."

Daxter's ears perked slightly, "Yeah..."

Jak and Daxter had been practically attached at the hip since the day they met. Daxter was the only one who understood every word his friend never spoke. The first time Samos had ever seen Jak do anything actually violent had been when a few of the village kids had ganged up on Daxter.

Jak made sure they never touched the freckled boy again.

Keira was harder on Daxter. She wasn't instantly friendly like Jak was, it had taken time for her to grow fond of the red-head, but she eventually did. She still gave him flack, teased him, pushed him around... but it was always affectionately. The three of them became inseparable.

Back then, Samos could never understand why.

"I thought you were a distraction." Samos explained, "I had a job to do, after all! I had to train and prepare the savior of the world!" He paused, "I.. was bitter. I was upset at being forced into a situation that was out of my control. You and your insistent meddling..."

Daxter remained silent, fingers still picking obsessively.

"It doesn't matter. I was wrong. I was wrong about so many things." Samos sighed, "I was an old fool."

The ottsel's hair stood on end as he slowly turned his head to face the Sage, "Are you actually _apologizing_?"

"I am."

"Well... Damn."

"I've recently... Never mind, it doesn't matter. I really do believe you are the only reason Jak is still alive. The only reason he was ever able to save the world... and not just because you broke him out of the prison." Samos admitted, "You chose to stay loyal through everything. Even when everyone else abandoned him."

"I don't know how to help him now." Daxter whispered as he leaned back to stare at the shattered sky, "Everything got so messed up. What do I do?"

"What you always have."

"He's so stupid!" Daxter grumbled, motioning wildly with his hands, "Why's he always gotta save everyone else? They don't deserve it after all the junk he's been through! Somehow he always just ends up screwed in the end. Why won't he just let someone else deal with it!?"

"He's the only one who can."

"That's not fair!"

"It's not."

"Jak said the same thing..." Daxter let out an angry growl, then curled himself so that his head was resting on his knees, arms wrapped around his legs, "He's gonna die this time, isn't he?"

"I..." Samos stuttered, and he found himself frantically trying to gather his wits. He couldn't keep his voice from cracking. He couldn't lie to himself either - the thought had certainly crossed his mind as of late. The Sage had no idea how to stop the corruption that was eating away at his charge. He had no idea what was going to happen in the mountain. No idea what Jak would have to do, what he would have to endure with the Precursor Machine. But one thing was for sure... "I will do everything in my power to prevent that."

Daxter grew rigid, and he looked as though he was deciding if that was an acceptable answer. His shoulders finally sagged, "So yeah... I'm sorry."

"So am I."  
***

"What the hell happened to pretty boy over there?" Jinx's high pitched question startled the group. He, Ashelin and Torn had just arrived, and everyone was in too involved in their own tasks or in a dazed to notice.

Jak groaned, and rolled to his back. One hand went to his forehead, and he murmured, "Ugh… it's still too loud…"

Keira could have shot daggers from her eyes as she glared at the explosives expert before turning her attention to Jak. She had wanted him to sleep as long as possible, but if everyone was about to start talking strategy she knew it would be impossible, "Hey…"

Jak mumbled something to himself, then cracked one eye open, "Hey."

She brushed his hand away from his brow and checked his forehead, "You're not as warm now… You think you can get up and get cleaned up? Vin has a shower."

Jak seemed to think about it for a moment before he nodded, and rolled himself off the cot and onto his unsteady feet. Daxter leapt from his spot on the console to his usual place on the youth's shoulder, "Come on big guy, I'll show ya where it's at. If ya want, I can even scrub that luxurious hair of yours so that Keira doesn't have to smell that stink anymore…" He turned a devious eye toward the mechanic, "Unless, of course, you wanna join us. Jak might like that…"

"Daxter!" Keira felt her skin flush as she narrowed her eyes.

Jak shook his head and made a sluggish attempt to shove the ottsel off his perch. Daxter just smirked and slid easily over to his other shoulder, "Haha, whatever. Let's go." Jak nodded and slowly shuffled in the direction that Daxter indicated.

Ashelin, Jinx and Torn watched his retreat until he disappeared, then each one of them turned their attention back to the others in the group.

"Somethin' I said?" Jinx asked when he realized that several sets of eyes were glaring at him coldly.

"So... what the heck happened down there?" Ashelin interrupted, "What went wrong?"

The strike team did their best to hastily relate the day's earlier events, before settling in to listen to Torn and Ashelin tell what happened on the upper levels.

At first all had gone according to plan, but when the fights got dragged out some of the men in Torn's unit had gotten a little sloppy. Jinx had almost been taken out from behind before the commander took the blow for him. Now Torn sported a deep gash under one arm, slicing clean into his armpit between two plates of armor. It made it difficult for him to raise his arm, and had been sloppily bandaged. Samos immediately went to work mending it.

"There's nothing left. The KG will be sifting through the rubble all night to make sure Erol's Metal-Heads and Dark-Makers were taken out. There were even more than we thought. The place was infested... I honestly can't believe he hid so many of them from us." The governor explained, "The council has mixed feelings on the whole 'blow up half the district' thing, but overall everyone seems to be on board and glad the prison and that bastard are gone. No civilian casualties."

"Now all ya gotta do is fix the damn _sky_." Jinx lit up a cigar, and took a puff, "Torn says you all are headed to the mountains past the Baron's old drilling platform..."

"Ah! No! There's no smoking in here!" Vin's holographic face blinked into existence and glared, "Bad for the circuits. Put it out!"

"That's just creepy!" Jinx rolled his eyes and jerked his thumb, indicating Vin's non-existant body. He didn't argue however, snuffing his cigar out between two fingers, "Anyway, I figured if you're gonna do some mountain climbin', you might want some of my materials... just in case."

"Explosives?" Keira inquired, "Why?"

"With all these freaky earthquakes, who know what kinda cave-ins and junk you're gonna run into." Jinx explained, "Hell, maybe you won't, but ain't gonna hurt to be prepared."

"What you got?" Tess piped up.

"I'm so glad you asked!" Jinx mingled his way over to the computer console to speak with Tess, leaving the others to murmur about more pressing matters.

Keira, Samos and Torn began talking about logistics for their trip. Ashelin took the opportunity to lean against the wall near the wastlanders. She spoke quietly, "So... Jak?"

"Kid's in a bad way." Sig sighed, "Worse than I think anyone wants to admit. Absorbin' all that Dark Eco down in the prison messed him up bad."

"Erol was really gonna...?" She grew silent with a small shudder.

"Use it to fry Keira?" Sig nodded, scratching the back of his head with one hand, "Yeah. I'm guessin' it was just to get at Jak..."

"Bastard." Ashelin sighed, stealing a quick glance up toward the direction Jak and Daxter had disappeared to, "He gonna be ok?"

"Honestly?" Sig replied, scratching the back of his head with one hand, "I have no idea. Like I said, it's bad."

"He's strong." Damas insisted, but there was a distinct waver to his voice that gave away his concern, "But he needs rest."

"How much time do you think we have?" The red-head quietly, "Before the world..."

The old king sighed, and shook his head, "Not enough. Everything is falling apart far more quickly here. My world suffered over the course of months... a year even. Everything here is..."

"Dammit..." She crossed her arms, aiming her gaze to the floor, "...and Jak's the only one that can fix it... _again_." She kicked her steel toe boot against the floor, "How many times are we gonna need him to save our asses? I swear to the Precursors if we get through this I'll do whatever I can to make sure he can finally just do what he wants to do for once..."

They shared an awkward silence for several seconds before Ashelin turned to face Damas, "Anyway... what about you? If we get through this. Have you thought about what you want to do?"

Damas looked a bit surprised, "I don't know. I haven't really... My world is gone. I can't go to Spargus..."

"Would you consider staying here?" She pried, it was clear that she was speaking with intent, dancing around the subject.

"Here? In Haven?"

"Listen..." her breath hitched as she chose her words, "My father was... I'm sorry for what he did to you. I want to make sure I don't end up the same kind of leader he was."

"Your father wasn't _entirely_ wrong." Damas corrected, and gave a dark, somber chuckle at her shocked expression, "Don't get me wrong, I share no love for the man. He overthrew a dynasty that lasted hundreds of years, and turned the city against me. He killed the vast majority of my friends and family, almost completely wiping out the bloodline of Mar. He killed so many of my subjects... He did not deserve to rule." He paused, "But he wouldn't have been able to do any of that if he wasn't at least somewhat _smart_. He knew how to influence people, knew how to fight. He was a brutal dictator, but he was a tactical mastermind... until the end anyway. The war and stress got to him, drove him to destruction. Some part of him always thought he was doing what was right... He fought very hard for that."

"I can't believe you'd have anything nice to say about him at all..." Ashelin balked, "After what he did."

"I hated the man." Damas assured her, "I will always hate the man. He was someone I trusted who turned around and stabbed me in the back. He was an enemy. But only a fool would refuse to acknowledge an enemy's strengths. That's a mistake your father made."

"I... I'm sorry."

"For what? You are not your father. You never were."

"What?"

"You were the one who gave Jak one of my beacons, were you not? When he was exiled?" Damas smirked, "You were quite young when my throne was taken from me... but not too young to remember, I'm sure. You made a few trips with your father into my palace, before he turned it into that... _monstrosity_."

"I hated the palace after he got done with it." She admitted, "I liked it a lot better before."

"Hmph. I remember a red headed little girl getting into quite a bit of trouble when she decided to hide from her father down in the cellars."

Ashelin blushed, "I did?"

"You did." Damas snorted, "He was furious."

She did her best to compose herself, and shook her head, "Anyway... Listen. I know the throne belongs to your bloodline... but it's all different now, and well... You are kinda dead."

Damas nodded, "The Haven that my family ruled no longer exists. I have no interest in taking it."

"Then would you be interested in joining me as an adviser?" She asked, "I've already spoken to my council about it... They don't know _who_ you actually are, but I found a way to spin it. We still need a Spargan delegate, and your knowledge..."

"What, you don't get along with me no more?" Sig teased, "I'm hurt."

"NO! It's just... Keira actually kinda gave me the idea," She paused, "She's the one who pointed out that your world is gone, and that's so... so I met with my council... Ugh. What I'm trying to say is, there's a place for you. We'd like you to stick around, and I want you to think about it." And with that she trudged away, leaving both wastelanders gaping slightly.

Sig chuckled, "She ain't nothin like her daddy."

"Not true." Damas disagreed, "She's as stubborn as any Praxis I've ever met."

"I suppose... _so_...?"

"So?"

"What're you gonna do? You know you've always got a place in Spargus. We won't ever turn you away..."

"She has a point." Damas sighed, "I'll think on it. Let's get through our current world ending dilemma first."

"I'm telling ya Jak, we can have a lot of fun with it! Just think about it!" Daxter's shrill laugh could be heard before either of them could be seen, "I mean, honestly pal, with _those_ teeth?"

"Seriously Dax...?" Jak slowly replied, just as he shuffled into the room. He looked up and winced as he met the overcrowding stares of his friends. All at once they made an attempt to dodge his gaze, desperate to avoid making him even more uncomfortable then he already was.

He sighed, and went to sit back down on the cot. He slumped slightly, one hand rubbing his chest through his shirt in an attempt to ease some sort of pain. Keira sat next to him, but avoided smothering him, and Tess hopped down to chide Daxter for some reason or another.

Damas was sure he wasn't the only one discretely studying the boy. It appeared as though the shower had helped a bit, as he wasn't as shaky or nearly as downtrodden as he appeared to be earlier... though he supposed that could just have easily been the work of Daxter. The ottsel had clearly been cracking some joke about the youth's current state before they'd returned, and Jak didn't appear to be upset about it. A bit more color had returned to his skin, even if it wasn't quite where it should be.

It was distressing that he still hadn't turned all the way back. Every so often when Jak would shift, or run a hand through his hair, his small, sharp horns would poke through. His teeth and nails were still sharp, and his eyes were still foggy. The few times he did speak it was in short, direct sentences. He had pulled his clothes tighter to hide more of his skin, but Damas had no doubt that the corruption hadn't receded any further either... He seemed to squirm a bit if anyone spoke too loudly, or if one of the computers made a sudden sound it hadn't been making before, though he was trying desperately to hide it. That meant he was still suffering from his heightened senses...

"So..." Jak interrupted the various forced conversations and shirked slightly when every set of eyes in the room narrowed in on him. He scratched one of his wrists nervously as he continued, shoulders hunched, "When do we leave?"

* * *

**Author's note**s: And we're off to the last arc in the story. I hope you've all enjoyed the ride thus far.

Don't forget to review! I love to know what you think, and it's a major motivator!

Till next time~!


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's notes: **Hey all! Here's the next chapter for ya!

Though, to be completely honest... I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I hope it's entertaining enough, and not too cheesy. I'm really looking forward to what's coming up near the end here... it's just getting there that's the challenge!

I also want to give a shout out and thanks to Oblique Strategies for their kind offer to proofread my messy ass writing. It's incredibly helpful, and super kind. So thanks!

Oh my, I've got a nice big handful of reviewers now to address, so here I go:

Killaninjasheep: Thank you! I'm glad you like it so far, and I certainly know what it's like to be hooked on a long fic and just spend all day reading it. No worries though: I'm in this until the end.

Oblique Strategies: I'm glad you liked the little interactions. I actually really liked your suggestion of discussing Ashelin and Erol's connections as well, so I slipped a bit of that in here. Thanks!

JayneParker: :3 I'm glad you like the JakxKeira. I always feel lifke I make it too mooshy and cheesy, haha. You might enjoy the very first part of this chapter!

Katpet: HI! Haha, I'm happy you like the way I developed Samos a bit more... though I can't say much about Jak dying... no _spoilers_! :)

Joe: Thanks! Like I told Katpet above about the whole "dying" thing... no spoilers!

M-Angel 05: Yeah... poor Jak. I just can't help myself. :) Thank you for reviewing.

Peek-a-bloody-boo: Aww, your making me blush!

Shaveza: :D Knowing Dax, something inappropriate, haha. Jak just doesn't know when to quit! He's got quite the hero complex.

Montala: Hmm... to fix Jak, or not to fix Jak... that's a spoiler, so I'm just gonna leave it at that :) I think Vin was always a badass... I mean, he worked with the underground despite the _obvious_ dangers of doing so, even though he was completely terrified. I fully believe that his current state of being would no doubt give him a bit of a confidence boost as well.

Ok, whew, so on with the show...

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

* * *

"Come on!" Keira pleaded, "Stay still."

"Hurts..." Jak growled, shifting uncomfortably at the edge of the cot.

"I know. I'm sorry," she replied, carefully applying more Green Eco across his back. Samos had insisted that he should avoid actively channeling for the time being, which included his Light Eco. For once Jak hadn't objected. He couldn't help what his body did on a subconscious level; the Light Eco would slowly work on its own after all, but he obeyed the Sage none-the-less. He didn't want to feed the corruption further, and suspected he was going to need as much energy as possible for whatever it was the Precursors had in store for him now.

The two of them were alone at the hub, which was just fine with him as he still wasn't comfortable showing any amount of skin, everyone else having gone their separate ways to make last minute preparations. Vin was still physically there in the form of his last remaining spider-bot, but was completely engrossed in the grid at the moment and wasn't paying any attention to the outside world.

Daxter and Tess had gone for a walk, the latter feeling the need to get some air. She was going to be staying behind at the hub, and wanted some personal time with her 'cuddle bug' before they left. At first Daxter had refused to leave his best friend's side, prompting Jak to crack a few weak jokes in an attempt to make fun of Tess's little nick-name. Not all of them were vocal, Jak had taken to speaking in motions and expressions with his oldest friends—which was far less stressful than talking—and eventually the ottsel relaxed enough to agree to a short walk.

Torn and Ashelin were with Jinx, gathering whatever it was he had to offer, then they would swing by the Palace to give last minute instructions to the council and KG supervisors. Ashelin would be joining in on this adventure, deciding that with Erol gone she could trust her peers to handle the city for the time being. Then there was the fact that the Precursor had stated that operating the machine would take several people whatever that meant—and she intended to be one of those people.

Damas and Sig had agreed to the task of gathering supplies. Food, ammo, extra warm clothing, tents... they had no idea how far they'd be able to make it up the mountain in a transport, and they figured with their current streak of 'luck', it would be best to be prepared for anything. They hoped they'd be able to reach the summit as quickly as possible, but suspected it would take at least one day with dependable transport, and there would be a fair bit of hiking to find the exact location of the entrance.

Samos had gone to Haven forest to meditate and regain his energy. He was extremely drained after the previous day's events, and wanted as much Eco as possible for the trip. He certainly intended to fulfill the promise he had made to Daxter: he was going to do whatever it took to keep Jak alive. That meant he needed power. He had left Keira with instruction to treat Jak's wounds and Eco burns while he was gone.

Keira set forth to do just that. Jak had removed his tattered shirt—Damas had promised to get him some new clothes—and was sitting at one end of the cot with his legs hanging over the edge. He was hunched, his arms resting on his thighs. Now that he was more conscious of his state of being, he winced slightly with each breath. Both the corruption and his side—badly bruised from where Erol had repeatedly kicked him—ached deeply. The mechanic was sitting cross legged behind him, her back up against a computer console, and her supplies splayed out on the thin, old mattress beside her.

She carefully avoided the small sharp bumps that jutted from his skin on the upper half of his spine. It only took one time of her accidentally catching one on the cloth she was using for them to learn they were painfully sensitive; he'd given a startled yelp and yanked himself away so fast that he'd agitated his wounds even further. Then there was the corruption that had spread from his chest around his left side, completely engulfing his rib-cage and hip, and was snaked up around his shoulder blade. The mechanic did her best to ignore it, not wanting to upset Jak or herself even further.

She frowned as she gently traced her fingers across the fresh, bolt-like burns that marred his skin. It looked similar to a patch of old scar tissue that stretched across his chest and one of his shoulders... she frowned, imagining the suffering he must have been through in those two years. He hissed and curled his fingers as she brought the cloth up to dab more Green Eco over the most tender parts of the skin.

The sound caused her to crack slightly, a small tremble taking over her hands. She caught her breath, "Jak... I'm so sorry..."

"Hmm?" He turned his neck to look at her, only to cringe when his muscles and bones refused to comply. Instead he chose to turn his body. He cocked his head to the side, and silently asked: _Why?_

"It's my fault..." She wiped a tear filled eye with the back of one hand, "It's my fault this..."

His eyes narrowed darkly and he frowned, shaking his head.

"The only reason..."

He snatched one of her wrists in his hand and squeezed tightly, "No."

"Jak..."

"Stop." He demanded, "It's Erol's fault." _My fault._

"What!?" Keira easily interpreted his voiceless words, and grew confused. "How is this your fault?"

Jak sighed, "He wanted me." He brought his free hand to his chest and placed his fingers gently on the pulsing, purple veins that marred his skin. His expressions continued to speak: _Finish this... obsessed._

"That doesn't make it your fault." Keira argued, "If I wouldn't have gotten taken..."

He just cocked an eyebrow quizzically and shook his head, "He took you to get to me." He was getting better at speaking normally with his sharpened teeth. His clouded eyes softened, and a twinge of sadness sparked from below the surface. He released her wrist and moved his palm to cup her bruised cheek gently, avoiding her skin with his sharp nails. Samos had healed as much as possible, but her face was still slightly discolored and sore. He jerked a bit and groaned quietly as he moved, his side burning as he stretched his muscles. _I'm sorry._

"I told you, it's not your fault!"

His lips curled into a slight, sad smile that suggested he didn't believe her, and he used his thumb to wipe away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. _Don't cry._

"You're so... dumb. Why don't you ever listen...?" She sniffed, then gave him a gentle, almost playful shove, "You just had to protect me..."

Jak feigned annoyance, then hesitated as he carefully wrapped his arms around her. When she leaned into him rather than pulling away from his altered form he let out a quiet sigh of relief, and murmured, "I'll always protect you."  
***

Sig and Damas stood and watched as the transport from Spargus slowed it's descent into the city. Seem had contacted them while they were gathering supplies to inform them that she was on her way; she and the monks had found a way to procure some of the Light Eco from the temple. They'd then discovered a way to reseal the vent to avoid spending any of the rare substance unnecessarily. Apparently it was a 'core vein'... the vent was tied directly to one of the largest sources of Light Eco the monk had ever seen, and she was fully convinced that it would last far beyond their lifetimes if they were careful.

So here she was, delivering a small sample of their hard won prize. It wasn't her only reason for coming... she was also hoping to be included on the excursion to the mysterious Precursor machine.

The transport doors slid open, and she strolled gracefully toward her king, two of her monks following directly on her heels and carrying a small crate each. She gave a short bow, "Your Majesty."

"Hey Seem." Sig smirked, then motioned theatrically with his hands "Welcome to Haven."

The monk took the opportunity to quickly glance around, having never actually been to the city, "The air is thick here. It is... unclean."

"Yeah, well, Ash is workin' on that. It'll take time." Sig explained, "Listen, I've got a few more things to buy before we take off, so Damas is gonna take you to Vin's. I'll meet up with you after that."

The monk nodded, and Sig turned away and headed back toward the bazaar district of the city.

"If you would be so kind as to lead the way, your..." Seem bit off the word 'highness' once he gave her a warning look. The people of Haven may not as easily recognize him as the citizens of Spargus would have, but Damas still loosely draped his hood over his features just in case.

They moved on, Damas occasionally asking questions about how their venture into the sunken temple had gone. She assured him that everything had moved relatively smoothly, though the most recent earthquake had damaged part of the structure a bit more. Some of the wastelanders and monks were there now, reinforcing what they could. She hoped that if they were successful at Snowy Mountain, the quakes would stop and the temple, and subsequently the vent, would be spared.

Once they were outside the hub Damas pulled her gently aside by the arm, and spoke just loud enough for her to hear, "There is something I wish to speak with you about... In private."

Seem sensed the desperation in his voice and nodded, instructing her monks to head in without them.  
***

It was just before noon when everyone reconvened at the hub. Jak had been thoroughly impressed when he found out that Seem and her monks had already found a way to collect the Light Eco from the temple. Every so often his eyes would wander to the two crates stacked carefully in the corner, a small part of his mind focused on the pinprick of energy he could feel invading his senses. He was drawn to it, wanting so desperately to absorb it... It called to him... it disturbed him how much it was reminding him of his urge for Dark Eco.

He sighed, eyes pulling away. He still had enough Light Eco in his system for the time being... Plus, he knew it would only cause more trouble, especially with the corruption, and he really didn't think he could handle that right now.

He honestly didn't know if he could handle much of anything right now. His mind had settled somewhat, he'd been able to form complete thoughts and interact more clearly... but every sound, every smell... every stupid, repetitive flashing light bombarded his senses and made him dizzy. He could fight it off a bit, but it was slowly but surely becoming overbearing. Anger was bubbling up and he had to force it away, had to cling to his Light Eco and remind himself to stay calm. Stay awake. Stay stable... But he wasn't stable. He couldn't change back... couldn't be himself. He wanted to move, to act... to do something. He needed action. A distraction... and he hoped their expedition would do just that.

Daxter climbed up to sit next to him on his cot, small fuzzy feet hanging off the side and swinging back and forth. He noticed how jumpy Jak was. He noticed that Jak was scratching unawares at his wrists. He noticed how Jak stared at the crates of Light Eco like a starving man at an all you can eat buffet. He kept quiet as he spoke to avoid unwanted attention, knowing that Jak could easily hear his voice, "You up for this?"

Jak shrugged, and tilted his head a bit to face his friend. He didn't need to answer out loud. _Gonna have to be._

Daxter rolled his eyes, "Just... don't forget you've got a lot of people who are ready to help. You got me. I'll be on your shoulder every step of the way. Not goin' nowhere."

The ottsel was surprised to hear a snicker, and Jak gave him a slight, sarcastic smirk. _Sap._

"Ouch! Here I am layin' all my feelings out in the open, and you just stab me in the heart!" Daxter replied comically, "No love for the ottsel. No appreciation."

Jak grew still for a few seconds, then vocalized quietly, "Thanks Dax. For everything."

The way he had said it made Daxter's fur stand on end. It felt so... definitive. So final. Unease crept it's way up from the pit of the ottsel's stomach, but he pushed it away. He had to keep his spirits up, had to stay strong: for Jak. Even if the others could kinda tell, none of them could see just how close to breaking the young hero was... Daxter could. "No problem pal. Anytime."

Torn cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. Jak winced slightly at the sudden, harsh sound.

"Ok, so," The commander began, slowly shifting his gaze from one person to the next, "We've got the supplies, and we know what we need to do. Now we just gotta do it." He turned to Vin, who activated a holographic image of the mountain range they were headed to, "The Precursor said the entrance to the machine was somewhere on the tallest peak, out past the drilling platform."

"Snowy mountain." Daxter piped up, "We've been there! Jak and I kicked a ton of Lurker butt..."

"It hasn't been called Snowy Mountain in hundreds of years..." Torn interrupted, eyes narrowing on the ottsel, "... and shut up."

"Well!" Daxter huffed, rolling his eyes, "Doesn't anyone take me seriously around this place?"

Torn sighed, but continued as if he hadn't been stopped, "Vin's narrowed down the areas he thinks are most likely..."

Three small, glowing dots appeared on the three dimensional diagram, and Vin's voice echoed throughout the hub, "I did some scans... It wasn't easy let me tell you, configuring the signal, boosting it's range, testing for seismic activity..."

"Get on with it Vin..." Torn warned.

"Oh.. Uh... Right. Uh, ok. So these are the areas that show anomalies... things I couldn't quite make out. They could be caverns I couldn't detect, or solid minerals that interfered with my readings... I don't know. They aren't very far from each other, relatively speaking... but everywhere else seems solid. Well actually, I found a few cave systems, but I think they're insignificant... might be worth exploring later... I mean, who knows what's out there..."

"Vin."

"Huh, oh, sorry. But yeah, I'm willing to bet my last spider-bot that our goal is in one of these three locations."

"All of them are near the peak." Torn stated, "We tried to send a flying drone out there to get some pictures, but the high altitude made that a no-go. So we're gonna have to do it the old fashioned way. We're separating into three teams, and taking three transports. Everyone gets a com-link."

"I modified them to link directly to each other." Vin added, "Uh, then Keira and I attached signal boosters on the vehicles... Tess and I are going to be here monitoring the grid constantly for interference... but, um, you guys shouldn't have any problems staying in contact with each other as long as you stay on track. I mean, don't expect to be able to contact Spargus, or anything...I'm sending my bot with you, but I don't know how useful I'll actually be. I uh, don't know how well it'll hold up if it's too cold up there, and depending on how deep the snow is... but at least I'll be physically there to keep an eye on things..."

"The transports should be able to get us to where we need to be, but there are flares and other supplies in each one, just in case." Torn paused, "Once we reach a high enough altitude it'll be rough flying though, so stay low. We make it as close as we can, and once we figure out where we need to be, we meet up and set camp." He drew his gaze across each person in the room, eyes lingering for an extra few seconds on Jak, "We want to be rested and ready for whatever's down there."

Jak noticed the extra attention and scowled, looking away. Daxter narrowed his eyes at the commander from his spot beside his best friend and let out a quiet hmmph.

There were a few murmurs as everyone agreed and began to chatter among themselves. Daxter rolled his eyes and barked loudly, "You guys are worryin' too much! I get being all prepared and all, but man..." He shared a devious look with Jak, "Back in our day we piloted Keira's make-shift zoomer up the side of an active volcano, into it's crater, then rode a freaking hand crank operated pulley – cart – thing, from the Red Sage's hut to Snowy Mountain's summit. Let's not forget we were what... fourteen? No, fifteen."

"Wait..." Ashelin asked, now fully distracted by the ottsel, "The Red Sage lived in the volcano?"

"Yup. Right on top of the freaking Lava..." Daxter replied, then grew sheepish, "...I singed so much fur that day. And you," His eyes snapped once again to his best friend, "You know how many times you almost dropped me!?"

Jak shrugged nonchalantly, trying and failing to hide a quiet chuckle,"...But I didn't."

"Bullshit." Sig challenged, "You gotta be pulling our legs here Chili Pepper."

"Nope."

"There ain't no way..." The wastelander turned to confirm Daxter's exaggeration with Jak and Keira for a moment, then grew curious when he noticed that they both looked completely neutral... they didn't have the normal amused expression they wore whenever Daxter embellished his stories, "No. Way... You're serious!?"

"Ask Samos!" Daxter insisted, crossing his arms, "He's the one who sent us up there!"

Every set of eyes settled on the Sage. Samos sighed, and shrugged, "It was a different time."

"Wait... what!?" Even Torn looked shocked, his mouth hanging open slightly. He took a step forward and stammered, "That's imposs..."

"Oh man!" Daxter cut him off, eyes wide with excitement. His face broke out into an even bigger smile, "Oh man, Jak! The Flut Flut! Remember the Flut Flut!?"

"Uh... yes?" Jak replied, actually breaking into a shark like smile, "I miss her... that was the last time I got to ride her..."

"Then there was that shoddy Lurker fort thing..."

"Yeah. And that cave... it was infested."

"Oh man, yeah. I still have nightmares about that."

"I almost slipped..."

"Everything was covered in ice..."

"They buried themselves..."

"Haha, yeah, those guy's were dicks!"

Everyone except Keira and Samos just stood dumbstruck, unable to piece together or believe anything that was coming out of the demolition duo's mouths. Their eyes literally shifted back and forth between the two as they compared half described memories.

Keira giggled quietly to herself, nodding at the ottsel from her position just out of Jak's sight... Daxter gave a subtle, clever look in response as he continued to spout nonsense from his mouth. Samos just stayed silent as he stood next to his daughter, eyes solely focused on the half transformed youth on the cot.

The only other person who noticed the discrete interaction was Damas. The old king cocked his head slightly and shifted his gaze to his son...

That's when he realized exactly what was going on.

Daxter was purposely leading Jak on. Purposely distracting him... and it was having a profound effect. Anger seemed to melt away to mild amusement, despite his evident physical discomfort. It was somewhat reassuring, regardless of how far down Jak would fall, Daxter would always be there to pick up the pieces.  
***

Once the groups had been determined, destinations plotted, and supplies delegated, they were off. The transport vehicles they were taking were similar to the one that would make regular trips into the Wasteland, only heavily modified to deal with the opposite extreme of weather: Snow. Barring a sudden, unexpected blizzard, there was no reason for anything to go wrong... which meant of course that they were all expecting something to go terribly, terribly wrong.

The first transport to leave carried Ashelin, Torn and Vin's spider-bot. After a bit of infighting it had been decided that the second transport would be the largest: Damas and Keira had insisted to be in the same transport as Jak, and Samos argued that he should remain by the young warrior's side to observe his condition, and he certainly didn't want to be separated from his daughter... Of course, Daxter wasn't going anywhere without his partner.

When Jak brought up the point that he didn't think it was safe for either Hagai to be cooped up in a transport vehicle with him in the event of an uncontrollable transformation, they both brushed him off. Samos simply ignored him, and trudged into the vehicle ahead of them. Keira focused on the fact that his dark persona had actually recognized her, and even shown concern when he realized she was hurt.

"That... doesn't matter." Jak mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't know if..."

"That does matter!" The mechanic replied, placing her hands on her hips and cocking a brow, "Of course it matters!"

"Keira..."

"Don't you take that tone with me, hero boy!" Keira rolled her eyes and shoved her friend up the ramp and into the transport. She stomped one foot, "Now sit!"

Jak's brow tightened and he let out a snippy huff, but did as he was told. He rolled his eyes when Keira plopped down next to him and smirked triumphantly.

The third transport would only consist of Sig and Seem, and had promptly taken off to it's destination once ready.

And for once, everything seemed to go relatively smoothly. Several hours passed, and the three groups slowly made their ways unhindered. The weather was agreeable, the transports were holding up fine for the most part, and they kept clear, radio contact with each other.

The only distress came from Jak's obvious unease caused by his current condition. The engine was loud, which set him on edge, and the transport was far from clean – the dingy smell was barely noticeable to all but him – but he fought hard to keep himself relatively tame. He was comforted when Keira discretely pulled his hand away to keep him from scratching, and Daxter had taken to the task of distracting him with his usual witty banter and crude sense of humor. Samos kept a careful watch on the youth's Eco, as well as he could anyway, and helped Damas navigate.

"At least the Baron didn't destroy any of this with his blasted machines..." Samos sighed, glancing about at the unaltered landscape that surrounded them, "It's a relief to know that something of our world remains relatively untouched... Though once the Eco ran out at the drilling platform, I have no doubt he would have turned his attention elsewhere."

It took nearly the whole day before the first group checked in with their findings. Sig and Seem were the first to reach their destination, and the com-links came alive with disappointment. Their destination was nothing but a collection of giant, jagged boulders and deep, icy crevices. There was nothing that resembled any part of the vision the Precursor had given them. They were roughly equal distance from the two other transports, so they were on standby until further notice.

It was nearly an hour later before Damas sighed, "We're here... but I don't believe we have the right location either."

He was right. The anomaly that Vin had detected in their location turned out to be a large, frozen lake that had formed in a crater that was surrounded by steep, unforgiving cliffs. There were no trees... no outcrops like in the vision.

With that the two unsuccessful transports reported that they were headed out to rendezvous at the final, hopefully correct, destination.

It took quite some time before Torn's voice rang across their connection, "I think we found it... and there's some sort of abandoned shelter thing too. It'll be the perfect place to set up camp. Vin's sending you the coordinates now."

Jak was leaning heavily against the wall of the transport that led into the cockpit, his eyes half lidded and focused on nothing in particular. He was a mixture of anxious nerves and exhaustion, and he was finding it difficult to concentrate. Keira was sitting next to him, chatting quietly with her father about something or other... he wasn't quite listening to the conversation really. Samos was sitting across from them, nodding his head in agreement to something his daughter had said... then he crossed his arms and tried to steal a contemplative look at the half conscious youth, only to hastily look away so Jak wouldn't notice.

Jak did notice, but was just too tired to act on the small tease of anger that wove its way through his thoughts. It took a lot of energy to fight back against his overwhelming senses, and he was eager to get out into the snow and breathe some fresh air. He wasn't dressed as heavily as his comrades were; even with his heightened senses the cold just didn't bother him as much. He was careful not to draw attention to the fact however, selecting to wear a short, poncho-esque cloak along with his normal choice of clothes.

Keira was bundled in a hooded, fur lined jacket that had a collar that could be zipped up and over her lower face for warmth. She wore red leather gloves over her long, work-worn fingers, as well as waterproofed pants and boots.

Samos and Damas were both in weather resistant cloaks and heavy wool scarves. The latter would never complain out loud, but it was humorously obvious that he wasn't at all used to the cold. He fidgeted almost constantly, and pulled tightly at his cloak. It almost made Jak chuckle – if the wastelander was this cold now, he could only imagine how uncomfortable he would be once they actually got outside.

The vehicle finally lurched and stopped, snapping everyone to attention as they landed. Keira stretched her legs and snorted when one of her knees popped. She pulled her arms back and behind her head, casting a smile in Jak's direction, "Ugh... finally. I can't wait to get up and walk around..."

"Well. I wouldn't have expected that..." Damas's slightly awed voice echoed throughout the metallic vehicle.

Daxter scurried into the cockpit and climbed up to see exactly what the old king was looking at. Once he got a good view he let out a startled cry, "No. Freaking. Way."

Jak still hadn't moved from his seat, but he hastily jerked forward at his best friend's tone, "What's wrong Dax?"

"Nothing!" In an instant two furry hands appeared on one of Jak's knees and the ottsel heaved himself up, "Come on! Let's go! You ain't gonna believe this..."

Jak nodded and gave Daxter a few seconds to secure himself on his usual perch. He carefully stood on uneasy feet and used one hand to block the bright light that invaded the small confined space as the transport doors shifted open.

Daxter was right... Jak didn't believe it. He slowly trudged his way down the ramp behind the Sage and Keira, mouth hanging slightly ajar. He couldn't help but stare at his surroundings.

He knew where they were.  
***

About an hour had passed and the sun was making it's slow, partially tear-obscured decent on the horizon. The large group had succeeded in setting up a base camp of sorts; the three transport vehicles were pulled in and set up in a semi-circle around a collection of small fires, and the tents had been converted to tarps that were bolted up against the 'shelter' Torn had found, pulled tight and secured with ropes and stakes.

"Shelter..." Jak murmured as he continued his deliberately slow, lonely walk around the inside perimeter of the old Lurker 'fortress' that had been constructed hundreds of years ago. He dragged one hand against the giant, wooden spikes that served as it's barricade, ignoring the prickling sensation that invaded his skin. He couldn't believe it was still standing, albeit a little worse for wear, but still relatively sturdy. A few of the wooden columns had collapsed inward, and one of the walls to the actual inner building was broken in and covered in ice... still...

It was old, and abandoned. It had been empty for a very, very long time...

But it was still there.

The others were all sitting on logs they had gathered around one of the fires, passing around rations and blankets. The more battle hardened had their weapons close, in case of wild animal attacks, but it was doubtful they would be needed.

Keira shivered slightly as she took a bite of her jerky, and tilted her head so she could watch Jak from a distance. He was currently locked in his own little world, head bobbing back and forth as he took in little details that reminded him of far happier memories. Daxter was hunched up against her, spread out so that his back was pressed to her side. His gaze wasn't on his best friend, instead he took to looking around and snickering slightly every time he remembered a clumsy spill or fall caused by the ice.

The others had all noticed their friends' slightly odd behaviors, but had mostly opted to just curiously observe the duo. After several long minutes it was Sig who finally spoke up, "You boys ok Chili Pepper?"

Daxter was pulled from his thoughts and he dragged his eyes to focus on the rest of the group, "Oh. Yeah." He scratched at the top of his head and pulled the small, fabric scarf Keira had given him so that it sat more loosely around his neck, "It's just really weird for us..." He tilted his head back to look up at the mechanic, "Ya know?"

"Yeah." She replied quietly, eyes suddenly filled with sadness, "I know."

"What do you mean?" Damas inquired. His interest had been piqued the moment he saw the expressions that were plastered on the time travelers' faces. It was another opportunity to learn about Mar's past.

"Think about it. For us, it's only been like, what..." He brought up one hand and curled his fingers as he counted, "...four... five years." He paused, eyes slightly glazed with memory, "The last time we were here I mean. It wasn't abandoned, the place was full of Lurkers that were working for Gol and Maia..." He sighed, "But really it's been a lot longer than that: none of you were even around. None of your dad's dads were around. Heck, none of your dad's dad's dads were around..."

"It's creepy." Keira interrupted, knowing that if left to his own explanation Daxter would never really get to the point, "It's not like daddy's hut, where it was all old and falling apart... That was a shock to the system for sure, and drove the point home. I mean, this place was definitely in better shape back then, but really..."

"It's still almost completely the same." Daxter finished, "Just empty."

Damas stroked his chin as he mulled over the ottsel and mechanic's words. He suspected he could never truly understand what they were feeling—what his son was feeling—but he liked to think himself at least somewhat empathetic. He tried to imagine the conundrum, the confusion at discovering and realizing just how much time had passed... it wasn't an easy idea to swallow. He shivered slightly and frowned as he pulled his cloak tighter and inched closer to the fire.

There was a sound of a shuffle, then a small grunt that came from the direction of the estranged youth, and everyone dragged their attention toward Jak... who was no longer walking through the snow, but had somehow pulled himself in one swift motion to a thin, scaffolding like catwalk that led around the upper levels of the encampment. He quickly dashed and made a long jump to another ledge, and pulled himself even higher. Eventually he found himself looking out over the top of the barricade at something in the distance. He was still oblivious to their baffled stares.

"That's gotta be so much easier when you aren't being tackled from all sides by crazy, jacked up Lurkers..." Daxter sighed, "I still don't get what they were even doing up here! They had all those explosives..."

"Should he be straining himself like that?" Torn asked, a small twinge of concern creeping into his voice. He tried to hide it under his gruff command like tone, "He's still messed up I mean."

"Phfftt! That's supposed to be straining?" Daxter snickered, and dismissed the KG commander with one hand, "You really don't know Jak. He could do all that crazy acrobatic martial arts stuff in his freaking sleep. Actually, I think he did once..."

Jak's shoulders suddenly slumped and he scratched lightly at one of his wrists before turning back in the direction of the group. Several gasps were heard when he simply leapt to the ground from his current height, briefly landing in a pounce like stance before stretching slightly and trudging back toward the fire. He noticed the quizzical stares the majority of his friends had trained on him, and he narrowed his eyes, "What?"  
***

They had decided that everyone would take short shifts throughout the night to keep watch. Jak had attempted to stay up with Torn and Samos for first watch, but fairly quickly succumbed to his exhaustion and had finally been convinced to go to bed. Everyone had silently agreed to just let him sleep throughout the night.

The last shift would be covered by Damas and Ashelin, and the two sat across from each other on opposite sides of the fire. It was early morning, the sun was still below the horizon, and the governor found herself in a small state of disbelief at the beauty of the clear night sky... even the large patches of pitch black that had been left behind by the tears, and the faint, shifting cracks did nothing to dismiss the brilliant hues of deep foggy color that spread out above her. Millions of stars could clearly be seen... it was something she had never been introduced to before. Almost her entire life had been spent behind Haven's walls, and the pollution and bright neon lights had ensured that the night sky would never be clearly visible. Even the numerous times she had been to Spargus had been limited to either daylight hours, or negotiations in the palace. There was also the fact that even though Sig trusted her completely, a large portion of the wastelanders were still wary of her: she was a Praxis after all.

The two of them had chatted about various minor subjects, occasionally falling into awkward silences before stumbling back into somewhat forced, but civil, conversations. Eventually the subjects became more serious, and Erol became the focus of their attention.

"I never did understand why my father pushed that bastard through the ranks so quickly..." Ashelin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers, "He was undisciplined, rash, and completely insane... even for the typical KG standards of the time."

"Your father needed allies. He was quickly losing his support among the people, and his soldiers. As far as I could tell through my... sources..."

"You can say spies. I know you had spies in Haven."

"Sources." Damas insisted, "Erol was quite loyal. It didn't matter how crude his methods were, as long as he did what the Baron ordered without question, and scared the people who might rise up into submission."

"Scared? Try just plain murdered." She shook her head, "Asshole always covered his tracks though. I could never prove anything." There was a sudden, unnatural quiet that settled between the two, and she found herself at a loss for words. After several long seconds she continued, "We joined up at the same time... everyone thought I got special treatment because of my dad, but I fought to do things the right way. Erol was a popular racer, and a complete and utter psychopath. He tormented the recruits under his command. There were always accidents. I actually got into a fist-fight with him over it once, and completely wiped the floor with him. When my father found out..." She absentmindedly brought a palm up to rub her cheek, then flushed once she noticed the angry, thin frown that spread across the wastelander's face, "Erol got promoted, and I got disciplined. That was right after I hooked up as an informant for Torn and the underground. He made it his mission to prove I was acting against my father... and for all that I never even knew what..." She lowered her gaze and ran nervous fingers through her dreads, "I never knew the full extent of what the two of them were doing... I knew there were some kind of experiments, but I never thought my father would... It's sickening what they did. How many innocent people died? What they did to... to Jak..."

Damas studied her for a few seconds with a blank, unreadable expression, "You are not responsible for the actions of your father. To me it sounds as if you did everything you could to actually serve the people and help them, despite the stigma and weight your name carries. You knowingly placed yourself in danger to aid the rebellion, and after everything was said and done you took the lead and began setting things right."

"It wasn't enough." She closed her eyes and let out a long, deep breath, "It wasn't enough when my father was alive, and it wasn't enough after... I let them exile Jak. I let them kick him out even after he saved us from Kor and the Metal-heads. Just so I could placate them!"

"You did." Damas agreed, "Had you taken more direct control of your council at the time, you could have stopped them." His tone was strong, but was filled with reason rather than condemnation, "But... politics are messy, especially in Haven. I can hardly place judgment on you when I was so easily overtaken myself, and my family had ruled for many, many generations. I was not ready, and neither were you. My time in the wasteland and Spargus taught me much... as did your own trials."

"Somehow... Somehow I let Erol slip through the cracks—again—and he came back with an army of Dark-Makers. Twice now!"

"That is hardly the truth. If anything, it is partially my own fault. This Erol came from my world, or did you forget? You, Ma...Jak, and your friends succeeded where we failed. That alone should be a testament to your determination and strength."

"I just wish I had done more. I want to fix things."

"If it's any consolation, I am somewhat glad that Jak was exiled." Damas gave a slight, hesitant smile, "I am grateful that you gave him that beacon. I would never have found the truth had you not... I would have never known the fate of my son."

A sudden, barely audible cry immediately silenced them, followed by Daxter's hushed voice, "Dammit Jak... Ok. Come on bud, wake up, wake up..." It was obvious that the ottsel was trying to keep quiet, and had they not been awake already, the two night sentries would have probably never heard him.

Damas and Ashelin were on their feet in a flash, and they quickly found themselves just outside the Demolition Duo's tent. The wastelander gently pushed away the flap of protective fabric and peaked inside the darkness beyond.

Jak was lying on his back tossing in his sleep. He gasped for breath, one hand clenching at the loose shirt covering his chest, the other pulling tightly at the blanket that had twisted around his trembling form. Sweat beaded on his pale skin, and small wet streaks leaked from his eyes. He let out a short, weak whimper that betrayed his normally tough and confident attitude, and slowly shook his head from side to side in protest of whatever was happening in his dream.

Daxter was pushing against his friend's shoulder, and gently tapping his cheek with the back of his hand, "Jak... Jak wake up..." The ottsel noticed the sudden breeze and his eyes snapped up to meet the two new observers, "Shit..."

"What's going on?" Ashelin whispered, glancing in from just behind Damas's shoulder.

"Oh, we just decided to have a slumber party, late night girl talk and all..." Daxter glared, then snickered back, "He's having a freaking nightmare, what the hell does it look like is going on?!"

Ashelin felt her cheeks redden, but she ignored the bite in Daxter's tone.

Damas cleared his throat and hunched slightly, "Can we help?"

Daxter looked hesitant and cast a weary glance across Jak's face, "I don't... It's not a good idea. I don't know what he'll do..."

Jak suddenly rolled to his side, completely smothering the ottsel. Daxter yelped, then squirmed free and groaned slightly when he noticed that his friend was digging his sharpened nails into his own chest as he gripped his shirt tighter, "Jak, Stop it..." He tried to pry Jak's fingers free, but lacked the strength to do so.

"Get... Get it out..." Jak mumbled through clenched teeth.

Daxter winced, having heard similar pleas multiple times over the past few years, then hastily continued to whisper, "I can't pal. Please wake up..." When he still couldn't force Jak's hand away he finally turned to the two interlopers, "Arggh... I can't! I don't want him to hurt himself!"

That was all the invitation that Damas needed, and he was instantly by the ottsel's side, awaiting further instruction. Ashelin was slightly more hesitant, but eventually found herself kneeling behind Jak.

Daxter grimly warned, "Sometimes he freaks out when he wakes up."

Damas nodded and carefully wrapped his fingers around his son's and pulled them loose and away from his skin. Small pinpricks of blood dotted his shirt, but it appeared to be merely superficial damage. Jak squirmed subconsciously in protest.

Ashelin wasn't used to this type of interaction with her friends. She wasn't a physically comforting person by any means, but Jak was important to her and she wanted to do whatever she could to help. She had almost placed a gentle palm against the side of Jak's head to stroke his hair before hastily being stopped by a panicked ottsel.

"No! Bad idea!" Daxter explained through caught breath, "Don't! That will definitely set him off... that's what Erol used to..." He came to a dead stop mid sentence, and smacked his forehead, "I did not just say that. Never, ever repeat that. Ever."

Ashelin nodded dumbly, the color completely drained from her face as the gravity of the statement settled in the pit of her stomach. She clumsily hovered one hand over her friend's shoulder, and waited until Daxter gave an uneasy nod.

"Please don't freak out..." Daxter begged, "Jak, wake up... Don't freak out..."

After a few uneasy moments that seemed to stretch on forever, Jak's eyes finally snapped open, and he pulled himself forcefully free from his friend's grasps. Hastily shoving away, he found himself sitting startled and confused near the back of the tent, eyes hazing over further as he frantically glanced back and forth between those in his presence. A small crackle of Dark Eco sparked across his chest.

"Jak! It's just Ash and your dad! Calm down!" Daxter huffed, strolling confidently to stand just in front of his friend. He placed one hand on Jak's knee, "Calm down..."

Jak stared for several seconds longer before recognition set in, "Ash... and my..."

"Yeah." Daxter sighed with relief, sensing that Jak wasn't about to transform or lash out, "Yeah."

Jak shook his head and closed his eyes, placing one shaky hand against his forehead, "Where...?" He suddenly grew quiet as he realized what had happened, and eagerly pushed himself to his feet. With only an annoyed groan he shoved his way past the two trespassers and out into the open air beyond.

Damas and Ashelin made to follow, but Daxter hissed quietly, "Stop. Give him a minute. He's probably gonna uh... get sick..."

"How often does this happen?" Damas demanded. Every fatherly instinct in his body told him to go, yet common sense compelled him to stay put and listen to the ottsel. Daxter hadn't been wrong thus far, and by the way he was currently acting, the wastelander could guess that he had quite a bit of practice in dealing with this situation. That realization alone caused guilt and anger to boil inside Damas's very soul.

Daxter looked as though he wasn't sure if he should say anything, but eventually gave in and whispered, "Not as often as it used to..."

A few minutes later Daxter shook his head and motioned with his hand, indicating that it was probably safe to vacate the tent, which both Ashelin and Damas were quite eager to do. Unsteady footprints in the snow led out of the fortress, then back in again and toward the fire. Jak's hunched form was silhouetted in the darkness by the dull, red glow, one hand pressed against his forehead.

Damas noticed that he wasn't wearing his cloak, and turned around to snatch it up from the tent's floor. He and Ashelin carefully approached the young warrior, Daxter having rushed out ahead, unsure if their presence would be welcomed.

Jak's ears twitched as he heard their unsteady footfalls, and he sighed, slouching even further. He rubbed his forehead to try and relieve the massive migraine that plagued him, and winced when he opened his eyes to look at the fire. He wasn't happy, by any means. His dreams were his. They were private. He wanted to snap at Daxter for letting anyone see him like that...

But that was stupid, and he knew it... He let out an unintentional growl as a small snippet of annoyance washed over him, then inwardly scolded himself when Daxter winced.

He stole a quick look at the ottsel who was sitting beside him. Daxter completely avoided his gaze, eyes practically boring holes in the ground in front of him. His small, delicate shoulders were slumped, and he fidgeted nervously with his fingers.

Jak sighed. It wasn't right for him to be mad at Daxter... He couldn't get mad at this... well, he could, but he knew he shouldn't. He tilted his head back and took a deep breath before giving his friend a quick, gentle smack on the back.

Daxter almost slid off the log, not because Jak had smacked him–his friend had been careful not to actually put any force into the blow–but because he was caught off guard. His eyes shot up to meet Jak's, a maelstrom of emotion bubbling beneath the surface of those cloudy, tired lenses... and even though he didn't speak, Daxter knew that Jak wasn't mad; or rather, he was... but not at him. Not at anyone in particular. The ottsel smirked, and slapped his friend back.

Jak forced a small grin that only Daxter could see before letting out another deep sigh. He called out to Ashelin and Damas, "You can sit. I'm not gonna bite. Much."

Damas rolled his eyes and dumped the cloak over the youth's head before slumping on his own log on the opposite side of the fire. Ashelin waited a few extra seconds before she joined them, and she did everything in her power to avoid making eye contact. The truth of the matter was that she hadn't known what to do, hell, still didn't know what to do, and that bothered her.

Then there was what Daxter had let slip... what Erol had done... she shuddered. She could only imagine the torment. Even something as benign as stroking someone's hair could be turned into a method of torture if it had been done maliciously and without consent. She swallowed... trying to block out the mental images of Erol cooing over a young, incapacitated Jak...

Jak noticed her disposition and frowned, curiosity and dread building on what she might have heard or seen him do in his sleep. He inhaled deeply, which was an awful mistake considering his weariness and heightened senses.

He had let his guard down. An explosion of sensation bombarded him: everything from the rustic, charred smell of the burning wood to the prickly, crisp air around him attacked. The fire crackled loudly, and a few birds chirped excitedly in the distance... his ears rang and skin tingled. He groaned, hacking slightly, then snorted to try and clear his sinuses. This caused Damas to raise a brow as he watched with a mix of morbid amusement and complete apprehension at the antics, and Ashelin to snap back to attention with complete bewilderment to what had just happened.

Jak cleared his throat and clenched his eyes shut before stuttering, "Ugh.. S...Sorry... Everything still all... its ha... hard to explain..." He shook his head before forcing himself to stand. He swayed ever so slightly due to the rush of dizziness that quickly came and went. Damas shifted, muscles tightening as he watched intently to make sure Jak wouldn't go stumbling into the fire, and Ashelin grew rigidly still.

Jak continued to push back against the overbearing sensations, and cocked his head to the side to clear his thoughts... after a few seconds he breathed, "Gotta... Gotta take a walk. Need to move... need a distraction... wh... who... wants to see something c...cool?" He had obviously lost focus on his speech, once again struggling with his teeth.

"Something cool?" Daxter's ears twitched, forcing himself to act like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Drawing attention to Jak's struggle wouldn't do any good at the moment, and the ottsel could tell that if he just humored Jak, it would pass. "I like cool. Whatcha have in mind?"

"S'almost sunrise..." Jak murmured, and after a few seconds Daxter understood what his friend was getting at.

The ottsel looked at the horizon and nodded. He could faintly see the streaks of dark purple and maroon bleeding at the edge of the sky, "Ooooohhh, yeah, I remember. Definitely." He took a few seconds to scurry up Jak's shoulder, then just as they started moving he turned to the governor, "Come on babe, let's go."

Ashelin looked baffled, and tilted her head in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"Trust me, you WANT to see this." Daxter explained, then turned to the wastlander, "You too pops."

As much as he was curious, Damas slowly shook his head, "Someone should stay behind to keep watch..."

"Not far." Jak interrupted, slowing his walk ever so slightly as he fixed the cloak that Damas had unceremoniously dumped over his shoulders, "We'll be able... to see camp."

"Yeah, come on old man, live a little. Where's your sense of adventure?" Daxter grinned, "Plus... there's nothing up here. Everyone'll be fine."

Ashelin and Damas shared a cautious look, and finally Damas simply shrugged and stood to follow.

Ashelin stayed seated a few extra seconds before Daxter hissed, "Get your butt up and come on. You keep cooped up in that damn palace all day, bout time you actually see something real."

"Real?" Ashelin questioned, finally standing. She trotted a bit to catch up with her friends, "What do you mean?"

"You'll see. Just move, you won't regret it."  
***

About twenty minutes later Jak had led them a fair distance from camp, traversing some questionably stable terrain along the way. After activating the flashlight on his com-link, Jak drew them through a thin, craggy cave. The light bounced off the crystalline ice walls, and caused the snow to glisten beneath their feet.

He pulled himself up a small ledge, then offered a hand down to Ashelin. It was only about a five foot tall obstacle, and she probably could have easily managed by herself, but she accepted the help anyway. At this point she was far too interested in their destination, which was overwhelming her need to be independent. Jak carefully took her wrist and effortlessly heaved her up.

Damas was already halfway there when Jak turned to aid him as well. The old king rolled his eyes and brushed the help away, "Spare me. How much further is this so called 'cool' thing?"

"Just around the corner." Daxter explained, stealing a quick look at his best friend. Jak was still jumpy and a bit off in general, but moving about and focusing on their mini-adventure had started to take its desired effect.

Jak mumbled something under his breath and continued on, leading them out an exit and onto a small, snow covered cliff that abruptly ended in a sudden, mind-bogglingly steep drop. Jak simply plopped down in the snow, pulling the cloak underneath him to keep his pants dry. He dangled his feet over the edge and silently waited.

Curious, Ashelin carefully leaned forward just enough to glance down at the world below. She almost regretted it, the sheer height sending a ripple of fear through her mind, and a lurch to her stomach. Even so, she could barely make out some sort of strange, jagged shapes below, and what she assumed was a frozen, winding river or lake.

Damas was also peering over the edge, slightly less intimidated by the height than the governor. He'd climbed many a mountain in the desert. "What's this about? What is it you wanted to show us?"

"Patience! Sheesh, you'd think you had somewhere to be or somethin'," Daxter smirked, "Jak and I just kinda stumbled on this place last time we were here... Watch."

A few quiet, yet restless, minutes later the edge of the sun began to peak up over the horizon. Fire like hues of orange and red melted across the sky, and began to bask the world below in a bright, hazy light.

Splashes of color continued to seep across the horizon, slowly pushing back the darkness. A few, unsettling patches of pitch black marred the sight, but even so Ashelin found herself slack jawed and breathless. She'd never seen a sunrise that was quite this beautiful.

They stood, or sat in Jak's case, in awe struck silence as the sun continued to drift lazily into view. Just as the sight was beginning to wear off, the light crept it's way into the valley that was hundreds of feet below them.

And it all began to glow. Bright flashes of color bounced across the unbelievably clear shards of ice below, causing the snow to appear even whiter than it was before. So white that it was near blinding.

Ashelin stole a quick glance back at Jak, who was squinting his eyes against the harsh light, but fighting to keep them at least partially open. His posture was certainly more relaxed than it had been earlier, and if not for his Dark Eco induced mutations, he would have almost looked comfortable.

There was a sudden shuffling of sound and a flock of white birds erupted into the sky from below them, nearly startling the governor half to death. Both her and Damas's attention was once again diverted toward the valley beyond.

She gasped. Small, crystalline shapes began to sparkle in the newly formed sunlight. A spectrum of color danced across her vision: Blue, and yellow especially... a bit of red and green... It wasn't the ice shards...

"What is that?" Damas asked for them both, completely absorbed by the spectacle... he'd seen many interesting natural phenomena in his day, but nothing that quite fit what he was witnessing now.

Jak gave a small hum in response before answering, "Pure Eco crystals. I had to... destroy a bunch of Dark Eco ones... once."

"What?" Ashelin looked shocked, then leaned a bit further to see even more. She could make them out now... In the distance they looked small, but she suspected they were probably about the size of a person. They even shined from beneath the frozen water, bathing the world in color.

Unbelievable. It was the only word to describe the sight. She suddenly thought back to Daxter's statement: She needed to see something real.

She realized he meant she needed to see something natural. Something undamaged by human intervention. For a moment, it caused her to contemplate the place that her two time-hopping friends had come from... it must have really been something. She wondered how confused they must have been upon arriving in Haven, and just how much they must miss their home.

They stared for several more minutes before the sun rose too far for the light to focus, and the colors began to fade. Jak frowned, and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, "Don't let them screw this up."

Ashelin grew confused, and looked down at her friend, "What?"

"People. Haven. Whoever..." Jak mumbled, "They wreck everything, and call it progress. You're in charge, you can make sure. Sandover is gone... but not this place. It's still here." It was then that they realized that underneath his cloak he was holding one hand tightly against his chest, cradling the spot where the corruption had originated, "Everything else is gone, but it's still here..."

Daxter gave Jak a subtle pat on the back, and added, "So are you, pal."

Jak's shoulders twitched at the statement, and a look crossed his face that made it obvious he didn't agree. He shook his head, and seemed to realize he was being a bit too sentimental in front of his friends, quickly forcing himself to regain his normal, brazen facade. With a bit of effort he pushed his way to his feet, and Damas gripped him under the arm to help. The motion was quickly disregarded, and Jak brushed the powdery snow off his cloak and turned back in the direction of camp. It was just visible in the distance, but the only safe way back would be from the path they came.

Jak disappeared back into the cave, bringing one hand up to rub his nose. He pulled it away, and sighed when he noticed a deep red streak of blood. He picked up his pace to keep the others from noticing.

Daxter noticed of course, having a front row seat on his friend's shoulder. He was about to object when Jak silenced him with a stern look and a shake of his head. It didn't matter now. The young warrior had a feeling he was on borrowed time. The corruption wasn't going away... he could feel it now, burrowing deeper than before, attacking his normal Eco and changing him from the inside out.

So no. It didn't matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was making sure that Keira, Daxter, and the others all had a world to return to after this.

It was time to end it. Time to find the machine, and save the world one last time.  
***

The governor ran her fingers through her hair a few times before locking eyes with Damas, who cleared his throat and spoke curtly, "I have been thinking about your proposal. If we all get through this, I think I would like to accept your offer." And with that he moved on, following in Jak's footsteps back toward the Lurker fortress.

Ashelin turned and took in the sight one last time before following. It gave her even more resolve than before: It was time to fix this damn mess and get her, and her friends —no, her family—back home.

She had to admit... Daxter had been right. She didn't regret coming.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Ugh... this chapter. But it's over now... on to more exciting things!

Don't forget to review! I always get giddy when I see them reviews!


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's notes: **Hello all! Time for another chapter... we're getting closer and closer to the end now (just a few more chapters!). I'm excited, because I'm looking forward to writing the climax/finale, but also getting a bit sad because it's coming to an end!

Anyways, to the reviewers:

Miano53: It looks like you're reviewing each chapter as you read them, so thanks for that! Hopefully you'll see this note when you get here! Thank you!

Guest 1: It's not that I was bored by the chapter... I was more worried that it was too cheesy and sappy. I'm glad it came off how I had hoped, and equally glad people enjoyed it.

Guest 2: Sorry, I don't really have a set "schedule." When I first began uploading the story, I was able to update 1-2 times a week, unfortunately, due to my job and various duties outside of it, It has been bumped to about 1-2 chapters a month. Each chapter boarders 10,000 words though, so I hope that makes up for it.

Symphoria: I'm glad you like it! It's good to know that people like how I write the character monologues and inner thoughts. I'm glad I can flesh them out but still keep them recognizable.

JakAttack13: Thank you! I try to keep a fairly tight continuity, and I'm glad it seems like I succeed in that. Also, Daxter deserves to be more than just comic relief... the game gloss over so much when it involves the characters and what they've been through.

KillaNinjaSheep: I'm happy you enjoyed this chapter! Glad to give you those feelings of nostalgia!

ShiroHichi891: No worries, real life takes priority! Sounds like you've been busy! I'm happy to hear that you liked the chapter!

Leach60: Thank you for your couple of reviews on previous chapters... and yeah, I tried to think of a good reason for Jak not having horns in Jak 3.

Katpet: Hi! I'm glad I could get ya with all the sentimental stuff. We'll just have to wait and see if Jak survives this or not!

Guest 3: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Just a bit worried it was too mushy :)

Oblique Strategies: Thanks again for the proof-reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and I really am happy to hear I pulled off the 'nature' aspect of things.

Joe: Thanks for reviewing! Daxter's just got a big mouth...

JayneParker: I do indeed follow Darkwarriorproject. I'd be lying if I said they weren't super inspirational. It's an excellent blog and both of them are great artists that I admire!

Shaveza: I felt like there needed to a bit of a calm before the storm, especially for our time-travelers. Thanks again for reviewing.

Montala: Thanks! I'm glad to know I was able to do the environment justice. Haha, I tried to describe some of the areas I remembers for TPL, all while adding my own twist to it.

I think that's everyone... so on with the fic!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

* * *

After a quick, cold breakfast, they hastily packed up their belongings and secured the transports. The entrance Torn had found wasn't even a mile away, so they agreed that walking would be the best course of action. The transports would be safe from the weather inside the fortified walls, and none of them were unable to make the trip on foot.

It was mostly silent, save a few jokes or questions here and there, and sure enough Jak and Daxter had found themselves staring at another all too familiar location. Unlike the fortress, this area looked quite a bit different though.

"Is that...?" Daxter asked, cocking an eye at his best friend.

Jak nodded, "Didn't recognize it in the vision."

"Me either... All the ice is gone," Daxter rationalized.

They were standing just outside what used to be a large, steep wall of ice. Back when they had last been here they had slid down it numerous times from the frozen lakes above, haphazardly avoiding rocky debris in their all too important task of collecting power cells and stopping the crazed Dark Eco Sage from flooding the world.

Now the wall of ice was gone and what remained was a deep, dark cavern that had a steep, but traversable slope into the world beneath the surface. The mountain surrounding it formed the large, rocky overhang from their vision, a few scattered trees confirming their location. They could see the opening in the rock above that would lead to the upper plateau that used to house the lakes.

"Everyone got their coms?" Torn interrupted, breaking them from their daydreams.

Jak jerked to attention, a bit startled. He'd been far more dazed than anyone had really realized, but he shook it off and nodded.

Various murmurs of confirmation filled the air as everyone fiddled with their devices and activated their lights. Vin was hanging from Sig's shoulders, his spider-bot rigid in the cold weather. After a few seconds he activated the dim blue light on his 'head' and mentioned, "I'm getting some pretty strange readings from in there... but it's uh... riddled with interference. Something down there is messing with my signals... sorry."

Torn nodded and took charge, "Two by two. Keep an eye on each other, there's no telling what the hell is waiting for us."

Jak rolled his eyes and glanced at the ottsel on his shoulder. His face read: _Bossy. Did this before. Alone._

Daxter snickered, but muffled it with his palm. He knew exactly what Jak meant by that. His tacit way of speaking without his voice was so much more than anyone realized, and Daxter could easily translate... what Jak was really saying was more like: _What a dick. He acts like we've never done this before. Guess it's just easier to deal with when they can just make us do it._

It was funny in a way, how serious everyone was taking this; how prepared and eager they were. How many times had he and Jak been sent to the gates of hell and back without so much as a 'how-do-ya-do?' How many times had they made it all work, all by the seat of their pants? Too many to count. They were always told to go save the world, but never told how. There was no instruction, no direction... just them, fighting their way tooth and nail through every obstacle. They were always just expected to do it, so they did.

Now everyone was cautious and eager, interested and prepared... and it actually angered the ottsel. They were never this concerned when they weren't on the front lines. He could tell Jak was having the same thoughts by the scrunched up look on his face.

_Whatever. _Jak replied silently. _They're scared._

"Yeah." Daxter mumbled, turning his attention back to the commander. He couldn't blame them, he supposed. They really hadn't ever faced anything quite this 'world ending' up close and personal before… Even the Dark-Makers didn't rip apart the sky, and erase whole time-lines from existence. Even so, he was just tired of it all, and he knew Jak was too. It was too much. Way too much. Though he had to admit that it was actually nice to have backup for once.

Even if they were being stupidly _bossy_ about it.

Hours came and went and they were still just _walking._ It was beginning to wear on everyone's nerves, and the group had begun to get a bit snippy with one another.

Jak was walking beside Keira, with Daxter on his shoulder, and was starting to get tired. He felt weird, like the air was closing in around him. His thoughts were cloudy and each breath felt like static in his lungs. After a bit of time he finally realized what it was... He gasped, coming to an abrupt stop and gripping a tight hand to his chest. Sig nearly bowled him over on accident.

"Whoa, watch out there Cherry. What's gotten into you?"

Eco.

Raw, unprocessed Eco... but there was something containing it, blurring it from his senses at first.

There was so much of it. So much Eco of every kind.

"Jak?" Keira gently brushed a hand against his arm, "Are you ok?"

This drew everyone's attention toward the youth, who was still struggling to focus. He shook his head and scanned the darkness for the other three Eco channelers. All of them looked uncomfortable, but their posture and silence suggested they didn't know why. Jak brought one hand up to rub his cloudy eyes as he questioned, "You feel it... right?"

Samos cocked his head slightly, and concentrated, "Feel...?" He paused for several seconds, then jumped as if hit by some sudden epiphany, "Precursors...!"

"Eco." Jak mumbled toward Damas and Seem, "…It's just really foggy."

Damas's confused face slowly grew to one of understanding. He _had_ been feeling strange, but had chalked it up to their location and situation more than anything. He'd never been claustrophobic before, but if he had to guess, his current mindset would certainly describe how he currently felt as such. The air felt _thick._

_ "_I cannot believe I didn't realize it before." Seem was rigid, her eyes closed as she focused her mind, "I do not feel its source. It appears to be very far away, yet all around us at the same time…"

Jak groaned, bringing his hand from his eyes to his forehead. His migraine was returning, and his ears felt like they were burning, "It's... _loud._"

"Do you need a break?" Ashelin asked.

Jak shook his head in an attempt to clear it, a low growl emanating from his throat, "No. Let's just go."

"Are you sure?" Keira added, "If you need..."

"I said no!" Jak barked angrily, and then quickly grew sheepish when Keira jerked away in surprise, "No... No I'm sorry. I'm fine..."

"There is a vast amount of Eco running through this mountain," Seem interjected, perhaps as a way to mediate, "Channelers are quite sensitive to it. I have been feeling odd for some time, and I can only suspect it must be overwhelming for one in Prince Ma..." She caught herself just as the young warrior narrowed his eyes toward her, "Erhm... Jak... For one in Jak's current predicament."

"I've no doubt that if we go much further you will all be able to feel it, if you aren't already anyway." Samos cut in, his voice taking a scholarly, instructive tone, "As our monk friend has previously stated, it's flowing and still some distance away, but the sheer volume is... well, honestly, it's daunting."

"Is it safe?" Torn cut in, taking a step toward the Sage.

"Hmmm... I can't actually say for sure until we get closer." Samos replied, stroking his beard, "There is a shocking amount of power, and prolonged exposure can be dangerous to anyone, especially a non-channeler..." He paused for a moment as he thought, rubbing the rim of his glasses with two tired fingers, "...but I would hope that we won't be here _that_ long, and unless anyone comes in direct contact with an Eco source, it shouldn't leave any lasting damage."

"So what are we waitin' for?" Daxter rolled his eyes. He could tell that the longer they stayed still, the more erratic Jak felt. His friend's muscles were pulled tight, and any little aggravation might cause him to snap, "Let's get a move on and get out of this creepy cave... I know you're all hopeless, but I got a sexy lady at home who's waiting for me!"

Several eyes rolled in the darkness, but the point had been made, and the tension had been broken. They continued their descent with a renewed vigor.  
***

Minutes turned into hours. Jak had long since grown accustomed to the overbearing denseness caused by the Eco... but that didn't mean it didn't continue to make him more and more anxious as they went along. His thoughts were hazy, and he had to push himself to just follow, one step after another, mind as blank as possible. Daxter didn't like how eerie it all was... his friend was acting like an emotionless automaton. He needed something to do, something to focus on.

Torn was the first one to step on flat ground, and within seconds a small, metallic clang echoed loudly throughout the cavern.

Several lights blinked into existence, and the group found themselves huddling at the entrance to a large dome. Giant copper like tubes were embedded deep into the natural rock of the mountain, melding together to protect various mysterious mechanisms and thick, Eco infused wiring. Sheets of old metal curved and spiraled, reflecting the lights in various, fractal like patterns.

At the opposite end was an ornate, circular door that had several intricate grooves that connected to similar ridges in the floor. They led to a small, circular symbol in the middle of the room that bore an all too familiar seal.

Jak's face instantly lit up as he took in his surroundings. The way the Precursor metal weaved together was exactly like the old path leading straight to the catacombs—except the weird door of course—his eyes shifted off to the side to settle on several discarded Precursor zoomers. They weren't exactly like the one he'd driven in the catacombs, these actually looked much closer to Keira's old creation back in Sandover; which he supposed made sense... she'd hobbled that A-grav together out of broken and discarded Precursor artifacts after all.

"What in the world?" Samos pondered as he studied the platform they were currently standing on. He carefully approached the door and cocked his head as he placed two fingers against the cold, slick metal.

Everyone spread out a bit to examine their surroundings. Seem and Torn joined the Sage in his study of the blockade. Keira excitedly rushed ahead to look at the zoomers, Ashelin and Sig followed.

Damas remained where he was at the back of the group, eyes set on his son. Jak was still on edge, but something about the current situation had obviously sparked a well-hidden excitement in the boy. His altered body was still slightly hunched, but he looked… well, confident. Cocky even.

He almost looked like himself. Even Daxter had a bit more of a swagger as he moved silently on his usual perch, eyeing their comrades with a small hint of amusement. It was like a breath of fresh air to the old king.

Then Damas realized _why_ Jak looked cocky.

"You've seen this before... You know what to do?" He asked quietly.

Jak jumped slightly and swayed to look back at the wastelander. "Never actually seen _this_... but we've seen lots of these kinda places... I got a hunch." He kept his voice low, crossing his arms and turning back to watch the others, "I was gonna see if any of their ideas worked first..."

After several minutes he sighed, and cleared his throat. Once he had everyone's attention he quietly strolled to the small, circular emblem on the floor and crouched. He dug one hand into his shirt at the collar, carefully retrieving the small, reddish pendant around his neck, "Same mark."

"The seal of Mar." Damas mumbled, laying a hand over his chest where his own lay against his skin, "Many precursor artifacts and ruins are adorned with this mark."

Jak nodded, "If I had to guess..." He placed his fingers on the circular pattern etched into the floor and concentrated. There was a loud, rusty click, followed by what sounded like gears shifting into place. The young warrior quickly rose, and staggered a few steps back as the floor decal rotated slightly, then began to glow. Slowly, the groves leading their way up the door lit up a bright blue.

Another loud click. Another set of gears. Old, time-worn metal screeched as it scraped, descending into the floor. The door was gone, and the path was clear.

And just like Jak had suspected they found themselves staring at a twisting mess of tubing and plate. It formed a tunnel, or rather, a track. Just like in the catacombs. Bright lights of every color flickered and sparked... and he could even hear the sizzling crackle of energy traps in the distance. Even with everything else going on... even with the corruption... the thought racing along the no doubt hazardous tunnel sent a small smile across his face.

Jak's twinge of excitement was short lived as Daxter gripped his fingers tightly around Jak's shoulder plate, "They knew... They freaking _knew._"

"What?" Keira looked confused as she trotted back toward her friends, "Who knew? And what did they know?"

"The _Precursors!_" Daxter hissed, steam practically visible from his ears. His eyes narrowed as he motioned wildly, "Why else would they set up something like that? They must have known this crap would happen. Those freaking bastards!"

"Dax..." Jak sighed, closing his eyes to hide whatever emotion he was feeling, "It doesn't matter..."

Daxter knew better. He knew exactly how Jak felt. Used. Betrayed. "Oh yes it does! They _knew_ Jak. They planned for it. They planned for you to come along with your stupid special powers. They planned for you to open the door. They freaking _knew! _They did it _again! They screwed you over again!"_

Jak shook his head and attempted to reason, "Maybe not. I mean, Damas could have opened it. He's a channeler too, and he's a descendant of Mar. Maybe they just sealed it for _anyone_ in the bloodline to open it... just in case..." Nothing about his tone suggested that he believed a word that came out of his own mouth, and everyone could see right through the blatant lie. He was only trying to placate the ottsel.

But Daxter refused to be placated, "That's complete bullshit and you know it. They knew." He seethed in silence for a few long seconds before dragging a palm down his face, "The Precursor even said it… remember? He said you'd be able to _open the door now._" He ground his teeth, fingers still clenched tight. "Whatever. Let's just go and do this. Let's clean up their mess... _again_."

Jak nodded, "You got it, partner." He stood, stretching his back as much as he could before settling back into his slight slump, "You ready to go for a ride?"

"Ughhh... no." Daxter replied as Jak made his way over to one of the zoomers, "But I'm guessing you're gonna force me along anyway."

The youth rolled his eyes and dragged his fingers across the cold, reflective metal of the vehicle in front of him. After a few seconds he figured out how to activate it, and turned back to his friends, "Have to pair up. Not enough for everyone."

"What makes you think you're gonna drive?" Torn interrupted, "I don't really think you're in any condi..."

"Yeah... No." Jak snickered darkly, narrowing his eyes. He knew that Torn was probably right—he wasn't exactly _stable_ at the moment —but he'd be damned if he let anything get in the way of a race… plus, it seemed the more he distracted and focused himself with a task, the better he felt. He couldn't let this go. He couldn't give up everything. So he simply stated, "I'm driving."

"Jak, you can hardly even…" Samos began, obviously about to agree with the KG commander.

Jak huffed as he ignored the Sage, swinging one leg over the seat and shifting to get comfortable, "Someone get on, or get left behind."

Keira dashed forward, dodging her father's weak attempt to grab at her. She settled in just behind Jak, pulling her round, gold goggles up from around her neck to protect her eyes. She pressed herself against Jak's back and wrapped her arms around his waist, careful at first in case he was still sore.

Numerous people began to object, but Jak just shifted his goggles down and cocked his head to glance toward Keira, "Hold on tight. It's gonna be a crazy ride."

"Crazier than our last crazy ride?" Keira asked, a small smile playing at her lips.

Jak couldn't help but grin, "Way crazier."

"This is stupid!" Torn threw his arms up, "You're serious right now? We're all just gonna let this happen?"

"Give it up, blowhard." Daxter growled, turning to face the KG commander. His normally sarcastic demeanor gave way to a serious, direct tone, "No one ever seemed to give a damn before. You all wanna start caring now? Oh, wait, it's because Jak's the only one who can save your asses again!"

"Daxter…" Jak mumbled quietly, rolling his shoulder slightly to indicate the ottsel should probably stop.

"I… sorry..." Daxter rubbed the back of his neck, then slowly moved to pull his own goggles over his eyes, "Didn't mean that…"

"We all care, you know." Ashelin cut in, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one leg. She looked to the side, almost guiltily, "Jak, you've done more than anyone for this world… for us. We do appreciate that."

"We're all just worried about ya, Cherry." Sig added, "You always got our backs, we just wanna make sure we're coverin' yours too." He paused, and scratched the back of his head as he tried to decide what he wanted to say, "Even you can't deny you've been way… under the weather… with everything that's been happening. Everyone's just trying to step up and do their part this time, try and take some of the burden off you for once."

"I'm fine." Jak mumbled.

Various groans echoed throughout the chamber, and several of his friends shook their heads. Sig sighed, "That ain't true and you know it. No one's saying you aren't capable—hell, I don't trust anyone else watching my six like I trust you—but you are _not_ fine. We don't want anything to happen to you kid. Not because you gotta save the world…"

"We all care about you." Ashelin reiterated when it seemed like Sig was at a loss for words, "Torn's just trying to keep an eye out, that's all."

The commander rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, but didn't speak up for himself.

Daxter hunched, looking sheepish. He hadn't meant to bring any of this up, or even actually say what he had. He was just frustrated… now everyone was gushing, and being emotional, and Jak was nervous… Jak didn't do well with the whole 'emotions' thing...

The ottsel was caught off guard when Jak simply shrugged, eyes hidden behind his goggles, "Guess he's just gonna have to keep up then."

The hover vehicle below them rumbled as Jak toyed with the throttle and pushed the zoomer forward to the edge of the tunnel. Was driving a high speed zoomer down an extremely dangerous track covered in flashing lights a good idea? Probably not. Definitely not... but when did that ever stop him before?

Just before crossing over and onto the track he stopped and turned to face his friends. A cocky smirk graced his features, and he challenged, "Not that I think he could."

"Seriously?" Torn growled, stomping toward another of the zoomers, "I'm done. You win, asshole. I guess we're doing this. Who's coming with me?!"

The group quickly argued seating arrangements, realizing they'd have to take into account the size of the riders on the smaller vehicles… there was no way the two wastelanders would be able to go together for instance, despite how comical Daxter insisted the situation would look.

Within minutes it was decided. Torn and Samos would be on one zoomer, followed by Damas and Ashelin, then Sig and Seem. Vin would do his best to cling to the armor on Sig's back, as the larger man could easily still maneuver the vehicle with Seem sitting in front of him.

Jak grinned deviously as Torn directed his vehicle forward, clearly not comfortable with the precursor technology or the terrified Sage latched to his back. He nodded to Keira, and whispered, "Hold on tight."

She smiled in return, scooted a bit closer on the seat behind him, then tightened her hold, "I'm ready."

"If it's anything like the catacombs…" Jak warned loudly, deciding it was best to give the other drivers a heads up, "It'll be dangerous. Lots of traps, and once you're on it's a lot harder to control your speed…"

There were various nods of appreciation from his friends, several of them trying to hide the nervous tension from their expressions. Torn had finally maneuvered to the entrance and was avoiding direct eye contact with the Dark Eco warrior beside him.

"See you at the finish line." Jak prodded, flashing a sarcastic grin before speeding onto the track.

"Unbelievable!" Torn huffed, shifting his own vehicle into gear to follow.

The first thing that caught the KG commander by suprise was the immediate acceleration caused by the energized track. He struggled briefly to slow down before giving up, instead shifting focus to actual control. He realized that he _was_ traveling at the minimum speed, but could still go faster if he wanted. He leaned slightly, which led to another discovery... the zoomer heavily relied on the weight of the driver to move side to side on the circular track.

The track suddenly curved and a barrage of flashing lights threatened to blind Torn. He swerved a bit, blinking in an attempt to clear his vision, eyes drawn to a blob of green, orange and blond...

Jak wasn't that far ahead of him.

"If he wants a stupid race..." Torn grumbled to himself, urging the zoomer to go faster. He quickly approached on Jak's right.

Daxter was the first to notice the competition, and he tapped the side of Jak's head to draw his deeply focused attention, then pointed. The youth glanced over in surprise, which quickly gave way to a slight, confident smirk. He alternated between watching the track and watching Torn, then his smirk grew into a full, sharp toothed smile. He jerked his head to direct Torn's gaze back to the front.

The race was about to get a whole lot more difficult, Torn realized. The track was sizzling ahead of them with jets of crackling Eco, and he could see entire pieces of the floor were missing. He could barely hear what sounded like shifting gears in the distance... but he wasn't entirely sure that's what it was due to the rushing wind and crackling electricity.

Jak barked out a slight laugh, then expertly forced his hover vehicle to go faster. His attention shifted away from the KG commander, solely focused on the task at hand. Keira let out a frightened, but still excited whoop, and Daxter turned to gesture rudely and stick out his tongue.

Torn watched nervously as Jak continued to accelerate, expertly shifting his body to guide the zoomer up and onto the 'wall' of the track as he dodged numerous traps and pitfalls. The commander did his best to imitate the action—admittedly in a far clumsier fashion—and found himself _barely_ avoiding a particularly large pitfall. He eventually found himself getting the hang of it, his ego slowly growing. After several minutes he felt comfortable enough to go faster, and made an effort to once again catch up to the Demolition Duo and Keira.

The mechanic leaned forward and yelled something in Jak's ear, and he once again glanced back at the racer who was closing in. Torn smirked, swerving to avoid a sudden jolt of Red Eco, then found himself side by side with the corrupted youth. He shrugged his shoulders, as if to say '_I thought you wanted to race?'_

Jak smirked, but was obviously growing more serious. He snapped his attention back to the track, and jerked all his weight to his left suddenly. A split second later he was racing along the ceiling, pulling himself side to side to avoid various hazards. He accelerated even further, once again gaining distance on Torn.

"Don't you dare try that!" Samos roared in Torn's ear, his voice nearly drowned out by the rush.

The commander had almost forgotten the Sage was there. He had no intention of mimicking Jak's most recent stunt, but he still found himself annoyed with the fact that he was being _scolded. _He huffed, then did his best to catch up and keep pace with the young warrior that was now intentionally showing off by alternating from floor to ceiling as he dodged the various traps.

A deafening, grinding echo suddenly erupted from the track ahead of them, and Torn saw Jak momentarily lose a bit of control as he was caught off guard by the unexpected sound. The commander held his breath as he watched his friend regain his bearings and let off the throttle, eyes darting side to side in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

The ground rumbled underneath them, splitting suddenly in two. Both drivers swerved to take the left path, and Torn stole a quick glance back to watch as the route behind them broke away and closed off from the rest of the track.

That meant the others would be forced to take the other path.  
***

Torn had fallen a fair distance behind, and let out a loud sigh of relief when the track ahead of him evened out and opened up into a large, dim room. He felt the Eco charge leave his zoomer, giving him the option to slow his speeder to a much more manageable pace.

Jak's zoomer was empty, parked off the side. A quick search revealed the missing youth, who was sitting with his back propped against an old fallen pillar, head resting tiredly in his hands. Keira was kneeling next to him, one hand gently rubbing his shin in comfort. Daxter was propped on his usual perch, leaning forward and talking quietly with the mechanic.

The commander parked his vehicle next to Jak's, practically having to pry the Sage's fingers off of his shoulders, "Get off..."

Samos nodded and slid away, stumbling as he found his footing. Torn almost laughed until he found himself doing the same, realizing that his legs were quite shaky, and his vision was still slightly off due to the high speed of their previous endeavors. After a few uneasy seconds they trudged their way over to their friends.

Daxter's ears twitched as they neared, and his head bounced up to meet them, "Phfft. We totally kicked your ass."

Torn rolled his eyes and waved him off. He watched curiously as Samos stomped his way up to Jak and crouched.

Jak attempted to pull away when Samos gripped him by the chin tightly, forcing him to make eye contact. The Sage demanded loudly, "Hold still, let me look."

"Mm fine..." Jak mumbled, words slightly slurred.

"Hmmm..." Samos cocked his head to the side, "You aren't. Stop saying that."

"I just got dizzy when I sat down..." Jak explained, "That noise..."

"From when the track split?" Torn asked, attempting to look unconcerned. Even he could see that Jak looked like he was about to be sick, and was even more pale than before.

Jak nodded, movement hindered by the fact that the Sage still held his jaw in his grasp, "The race was a good distraction… I was able to deal with all of that until…wasn't expecting it." He growled as Samos forced his head to one side, "Ears are ringing..."

"I'm sure the overabundance of Eco here isn't helping either. We're most certainly getting closer to the source." Samos observed, brushing his free hand through the air.

The corrupted youth nodded again, "It feels heavier... Harder to breathe."

"Hmm." The Sage finally released his hold, then turned to face the KG commander, "You have rations on you right? Jak needs to eat something."

"Not hungry..." Jak murmured, rubbing his eyes.

"Don't give me that!" Samos sighed, holding out his hand to accept the food, "Don't think I didn't notice. You haven't actually eaten since we came back from the prison, have you?"

An awkward silence fell over the group, and Torn hastened his efforts to retrieve a few of the rations from his pack. He passed them to the Sage, who eventually won out against Jak in their brief, angry staring match.

With a groan, Jak reluctantly accepted the rations and began to slowly eat.

Torn and the others quickly realized that it took a bit of effort on Jak's part to chew with his altered teeth, and that it would take some time for him to finish. The commander looked away, "I'm going to try and contact the others... find out if they're ok, and where they ended up."

"Vin." Jak instructed, swallowing gingerly, "Contact Vin... They might still be on the track."

Torn nodded, then strolled away as he activated his com-link. He quietly began talking with someone on the other end.

"How ya feeling?" Keira asked, worrying over Jak's features.

The youth shrugged, "Fine. I was ok until the end there. Food's helping."

The mechanic nodded, "You're looking a little better..."

This drew a snort from Jak, "Sure... everything is perfectly normal except..." He pulled one clawed hand up and counted with his fingers, "My skin, nails, horns, teeth, eyes..."

"Don't forget that purple Eco gunk!" Daxter piped up, jerking a thumb toward the vein patterns that were peeking up from under his scarf.

"Thanks Dax," Jak replied sarcastically, "I woulda missed that one..."

"Anytime, Pal."

"Jak..." Keira shook her head, "Stop... I didn't mean..."

"No... I'm just being an ass," Jak interrupted with a sigh, "Sorry."

Samos sighed, and shook his head. Part of him was still upset that Jak had done something as stupid as the race… the other part of him was interested and relieved to know that keeping the boy focused on a task and active actually seemed to be helping. He had wondered why Daxter hadn't objected at first… but it seemed like the ottsel knew what was best. Adrenaline could do wonders, he supposed.

Keira was giggling at something humorous Daxter had mumbled, just as Torn rejoined the group. The commander dragged his fingers through his dreads before explaining, "So, the others are all together... somewhere else obviously. Their track apparently took them to another room like this. They found a door, and are gonna start moving toward wherever it leads. Everyone's keeping their com-links ready."

"There's a door over there." Jak motioned toward the far end of their room, which was bathed in darkness, "I can, uh, see it..."

"Really…?" Torn raised a brow, and held out a hand, "If you're done stuffing your face, how about we get a move on."

Jak rolled his eyes but nodded, accepting the help to his feet. He brushed off a small wave of dizziness, and turned toward the darkened side of the room, "There's a lot of Eco coming from that direction..."

"Let's hope that means we're headed to the right place." Samos commented, "We're only wasting time sitting here anyway."  
***

"Does anyone else hear that?" Ashelin asked, stopping in her tracks to focus on the unfamiliar sound coming from further down the tunnel.

A deep hum echoed off the walls, followed by a soft but steady thumping. It was entirely too creepy considering how dark it was.

"Probably just another damned Precursor machine." Damas grumbled. He was still sour about being separated from the others, and growing more and more irritated by the moment, "I'm sure..."

He was interrupted by a loud clang, then a rush of metallic scratching.

"Is that coming from behind us...?" Sig pulled at his com-link, and activated the flashlight. After a few long seconds of searching through the darkness he took a few tentative steps in the direction they had come from. "What the hell is that...?"

Multiple pairs of blue lights blinked into existence behind them, gently swaying back and forth. After sharing a consulting glance with his comrades, Sig slowly raised his com to get a better look. Ashelin and Damas both placed their hands on their weapons... Just in case.

The blue lights flashed red, and several large machines broke through the darkness and rushed toward them. They were oddly shaped, barrel-chested, and their waist was ball jointed so that they could rotate their entire upper body. They had long, thin legs that were similar to Vin's spider-bot, and their heads looked like miniature versions of the numerous, ancient Precursor oracles that dotted the land. They were obviously old, and worn... but that didn't seem to really slow them down much.

Ashelin and Damas both opened fire. A few of the menacing machines stumbled and fell, but the majority of them seemed impervious to the damage.

"Go! Go!" Sig bellowed, giving Seem a little push. She dashed down the tunnel, fumbling with her own com-link's light to better navigate. Sig was next, having no weapon at the ready, and he was closely followed by Ashelin and Damas.

The governor stole a quick glance over her shoulder, and fired wildly back toward their attackers, "They're gaining!"

"Shit!" Sig huffed, struggling to find a secure hold for his light. Once successful, he made an attempt to grab his gun.

He never got the chance. The floor suddenly gave out underneath them, and they found themselves tumbling down a makeshift slide. The group found themselves rolling and crashing into one another, head over feet, chaotically changing positions without being able to gain any traction. Numerous curses bounced off the walls, followed by a collection of loud, scraping screeches.

The machines were following them down the ramp.

"Son-of-a-" Sig reached haphazardly to get a grip on Vin's spider-bot, desperate not to lose him in the fall. He could tell that the construct had already suffered damage to at least one of his legs, and was fighting to keep a hold of the wastelander as well. He pulled the bot to his chest, and half curled defensively to protect it from getting crushed.

In the shuffle he found himself rolling toward the back, getting a clear view of the Precursor machines. They were less a tangled mess of limbs and bodies, like he and his comrades, and more the likeness of finely tuned surfers.

Surfers whose limbs glided and sparked as they slid expertly across the slick metal surface... So really, surfers probably weren't the best comparison... but honestly, at the moment, Sig didn't care.

One of the robots lunged, propelling itself toward the wastelander. It sliced downward, barely missing flesh. It struck hard and sliced clean into the coppery slide.

A loud crack erupted from the tunnel, and Sig was almost relieved to see the floor behind them give way and swallow the machines in the darkness below. Now to only hope he and his friends would land somewhere soft: a giant, fluffy pile of pillows would be nice...

It was perhaps just a little too much to ask. The end of the ride came quick and rough. Sig crashed hard into someone behind him, and felt his head bash against something hard. The wind left his lungs and his vision blurred. He snapped his eye shut only to have stars dance across the back of his eyelid.

For a short time he didn't hear anyone... then he felt something pull at the armor across his chest, poking gently against his skin. Slowly but surely Vin's voice broke through the silence, "Need... wake up... come on... help... big guy..."

Sig groaned, and without thinking he shoved the Spider-bot off his chest and onto the rocky floor below. He rubbed his brow, shaking his head to try and focus his suddenly blank mind...

A soft, pain induced yelp caught his attention, and he rolled to his side and opened his eye to try and see who had made the noise. He cringed as his shoulder throbbed, but after a few seconds he could tell that it wasn't anything too unbearable.

One by one he searched for his friends. Seem appeared to be ok, save for a nasty set of scrapes across her face and a split lip. She was carefully wiping away the blood, moving slowly to accommodate her no doubt sore body.

Damas was on his knees and hunched over, a few scrapes, bruises and a bloody nose his only evidence of injury. The old king had one hand placed gently against Ashelin's back to support her as she attempted to sit up. She was gripping one of her arms tightly against her chest, gasping out with each movement, trying desperately to hide her agony. Blood was staining the front of her shirt.

"I'll..." She began, grinding her teeth, "I'll... I'll be fine..."

Sig sighed, pushing himself to his feet. Several ribs ached, and he winced... he didn't think they were broken, but he had no doubt that he'd be feeling rough for a while. He trudged closer to his struggling friend, Vin's spider-bot hobbling slowly at his heels, and crouched beside Damas to get a better look, "You're beginning to sound like Jak..."

Ashelin gave a snort, followed by an undignified cry as Sig carefully pried her fingers off her damaged arm. She resisted, tucking it under her bust and pulling it tightly to her body. The wastelander didn't give in, but did share a sympathetic smile, "Sorry... you're gonna have to let me lift it up so we can take a look..."

The redhead practically paled, but gave a tough front and swallowed nervously, "I think it's broken..."

Sig nodded, vaguely aware that the Light Eco monk had joined their little huddle, "Ok, here we go..."

He pulled her arm up as delicately as he could manage. Tears immediately formed in Ashelin's eyes, and a sharp breath caught in her throat, but she fought to remain as even faced as possible.

"Oh!" Vin was the first to comment, "Oh! Oh that's... Uh... ouch."

"Shush." Seem demanded, leaning forward to study the wound.

Sig bit his lower lip... it wasn't a pretty sight. Broken wasn't the appropriate word for this situation... shattered and mangled were much more fitting.

Even the wastlanders were nearly sick from the sight. Bones jutted at awkward angles through her skin, and blood poured from the lacerations pooling on the stone floor beneath them. She needed immediate medical attention, and it was a wonder she hadn't passed out. Figures they'd be separated from the Sage when they needed him most. His eyes settled on the Monk beside him, "Can you heal it? Like Jak does?"

Seem shook her head, looking a bit squeamish herself, "I... I cannot use Light Eco to that extent. Healing another is extremely difficult, and immensely taxing..." She gave a defeated sigh, her nearly emotionless facade cracking into a look of disappointment, "I have tried in the past, and have never been successful. I simply do not possess the talent for it. Prince Mar is uniquely gifted in his latent abilities... I apologize, Your Highness... Lady Ashelin..."

Damas had pulled away and was already digging through their packs to find any unbroken vials of Green Eco that he could get his hands on. It wasn't the ideal solution... she needed the broken bones in her arm to be re-set, and most certainly pinned, but they needed to stop the bleeding as best they could for the time being.

Sig grimaced, turning his attention back to the woman in front of him, "You're gonna wanna hang on to somethin... this ain't gonna be a walk in the park. Bite down on your cloak."

Ashelin was still staring blankly at her arm, obviously in shock. Sig cursed, and snapped his fingers in front of her face to gain her attention. She blinked a few times, then turned her wide eyes toward him.

"You hear me? Grab onto Vin or something, and wad up your cloak and bite down, ok?"

The spider-bot nudged her palm, and she nodded meekly. She did as instructed, and found herself trembling with one hand wrapped around one of Vin's damaged plates, and a mouth full of dirty cloth.

Damas, Seem and Sig shared a concerned look. They silently agreed to work as quickly as possible, instinctively falling into their roles.

"Sorry Ash..." Sig murmured just loud enough for her to hear, and she gave him a forgiving nod. He steadied himself, and then dug in, quite literally. He hastily used one of his thumbs to shift the bones back into place as best he could, using his other hand to hold her arm steady despite her uncontrolled squirming. She broke into tears and whimpered, but no one dared judge her for it.

A few quick seconds later Damas hastily began pouring the small amounts of Green Eco into the lacerations... hopefully it would hold enough until they got to the Sage, and they could only pray she wouldn't suffer any lasting internal damage...

Seem followed immediately, using a torn piece of her cloak that she had soaked in a supply of their drinking water to clean away the majority of the blood. She let Damas get a good look, then waited patiently as he poured more Eco.

It wasn't working nearly as well as they wanted or needed. The bones continued to shift, and the broken skin refused to stay mended. Blood continued to flow. Damas cursed, digging through Seem's bag for more Green Eco... all the ones in his own pack had been crushed in the fall, and he'd already exhausted his fellow wastelander's cache. He grew still as his fingers brushed against one of the reinforced vials of Light-Eco in the Monk's supplies.

"What about me?" Damas abruptly questioned, eyes set on the container that was now in his hand, "Maybe I can...?"

Both Seem and Sig shared a puzzled look. The Monk was the first to realize what Damas was actually asking, "Your Highness, I... I don't think..."

"You promised to teach me how to channel it back in Haven." Damas argued, "We need to do something..."

"I promised to _try_ and teach you. We don't even know if you are compatible yet."

"They said that about the Dark Eco as well, but look at what happened in the prison! The Sage said I channeled it!"

"I was told you were _forced _to absorb it."

"Mar is able, and he is my _son_. It only stands to reason..."

"Mar was gifted by the Pre..."

"GUYS!" Sig roared, eye flashing with anger, "Either do it, or don't. We don't have time for this right now!"

"Daxter said that Mar was able to channel it _before... _as a child." Damas stated, "Maybe I can too."

Seem glanced back to Ashelin and frowned... The red-head was pale and clammy, and was on the verge of blacking out in Sig's grasp. She sighed, pushed herself to her feet and approached the otherworldly king. Kneeling beside him, her crimson eyes met his violet ones, and she extended one hand, "You _must_ promise to follow my directions and do exactly as I say."  
***

"Vin's not answering..." Torn grumbled, shaking his com-link. He resisted the urge to smash it against a wall, instead clipping it back to his belt, "When we find them I swear I'll strangle the little bastard..."

"How are you gonna do that?" Daxter mused, "He ain't got a neck."

"I'll find a way."

"Sheesh, why you always gotta be so violent?"

Torn turned his head to glare at the ottsel, who was currently safely adorning Jak's shoulder as usual, "Just shut up."

There were a few moments of silence as they walked on, the only sounds coming from their boots clanging against the cold, metallic floors. It wasn't completely dark... various ancient Precursor lights flickered on as they passed, but it was dim enough to cast threatening shadows across every wall, and cold enough for them to see their breath each time they exhaled.

"I'm sure they're ok." Daxter soberly spoke up, attempting to comfort the KG commander, "Siggy boy and Jak's dad are there... plus Ash? I mean, she could probably whoop both of 'em with her hands behind her back! I don't know about Seem though... that crazy Monk is probably just blabbing on about 'Precursor this' and 'Precursor that'..."

"Yeah." Torn wasn't buying it. Something had happened... when Vin hadn't replied, he'd tried to contact Ashelin, then Sig and Damas. No one had answered.

"I bet it's just the mountain, or all the Eco or something blocking communication. Spider-Vin did say he was getting weird readings or whatever..." The ottsel flashed a large, sloppy grin, "I bet they've already found the machine and are sittin' around waiting for us, playing poker or somethin'."

Torn just rolled his eyes. He didn't actually believe it, but he appreciated the attempt to comfort him none-the-less.

They continued on for several more minutes before they came across an old, ornate door. It opened without much effort, revealing a small elevator.

"Shall we?" Daxter asked, waving a hand as if inviting guests into his home. Jak shrugged, and trudged slowly onward. The others quickly followed, and after a brief search, the Eco infused youth managed to spot the controls and they found themselves being lowered further beneath the planet's surface.

It was a longer ride than any of them expected, and as they descended Jak grew all the more unsettled. He had a gut feeling... something dangerous was no doubt waiting for them at the bottom of the shaft. Then there was the ever growing presence of Eco that clouded his thoughts, confusing his senses... and he had to admit he was worried about his friends.

The platform came to a stop, and the doors shifted open. The room beyond was dark, but began to brighten as they entered.

Suddenly the doors behind them snapped shut, and the sound of the elevator rising caused them all to stop and share an exasperated look. Torn dashed back and looked for a way to bring it back down, but was unsuccessful. They'd have to find another way back to the surface.

With no other options they continued onward. There were numerous large piles of rubble scattered about, and the ground was a bit uneven. The walls weren't made of Precursor metal, instead they were in a rocky cavern of sorts, with lighting directly embedded in the stone. They couldn't see the ceiling above them, and large copper-like tubes snaked their way across and up the walls into the darkness beyond. In the center of the cave stood a giant, motionless Precursor robot, its eyes empty of life. It looked vaguely familiar...

"I wonder..." Samos mumbled to no one in particular, "Just how much Eco is flowing inside those pipes?"

"A lot... Too much..." Jak sighed, rubbing his temple, "Praxis would have had a heart attack if he ever found this place." He decided to continue studying his surroundings, eyes shifting to a room like structure in the wall opposite them. It was perhaps twenty meters above them, and was protected by a glass barricade of sorts.

A large pit filled the floor on the far side of the cavern, and his attention was pulled to an old overturned Precursor platform that sat at the edge. He figured with a bit of energy from one of their blasters, it would take them up to the platform above.

He wasn't the only one to make the observations, and the group silently agreed to move forward.

That's when they heard the tell-tale sound of a machine powering up.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Thanks for reading... I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think!


	19. Chapter 18

**Author's notes: **Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait here, work's been hell and I've had some personal issues to take care of. Luckily it should slow down until early next year after last week, so I should be able to pump out the last couple chapters fairly quick!

And now, to the reviewers:

Gutesficken: I'm glad you enjoyed the sunrise scene in chapter 17! I was terribly worried it would be too cheesy... but I'm glad it's gone over well.

Katpet: Don't think I didn't see you sneaking a read at my other story! I'm glad you're enjoying both of them now!

ShiroHichi891: The zoomer scene was fun to write... I just felt like Jak needed to have a bit of fun! Hopefully I don't let you down with these last couple of chapters!

Shaveza: Torn is a big softy who will never admit he's a big softy... and no, Daxter should never, ever know. Double cliffhanger means double resolution for said cliffhangers!

JayneParker: Why a cliffhanger? Because I'm a horrible person :) As for the robots/Precursors knowing... you'll just have to wait and see!

Joe: I'm glad you're continuing to enjoy it... as for what they've found, you'll just have to read and see. It can't all go well, can it?

M-Angel 05: Yeah, I can't just keep punishing Jak without letting the others get in on it too..

Oblique Strategies: Once again, thanks! I figure there needs to be a bit more adventure and drama before the finale, so having them discover new things in the Precursor ruin has been a lot of fun to write.

Leach60: Haha, I don't know if it's quite Naughty Dog worthy, or game worthy, but I'm glad you think so. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, and a lot of fun reading everyone's reactions to the story. Almost at the end now.

Ok, so here we go guys...

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me..." Torn whispered through clenched teeth, eyes focused on the now waking robot in the center of the room. He and Keira were tucked behind one rather large rock, while Jak, Daxter and Samos were nestled behind another. A small gap separated them, and both warriors took turns peering around to watch the menacing machine.

"It's never just simple, is it?" Daxter murmured in Jak's ear.

Jak gave a quiet hum, carefully prepping his morph gun to cause as little noise as possible. He snuck another quick peek past the edge of his cover... the Precursor robot was now fully erect, its gigantic frame slowly trudging side to side. At least it hadn't actually noticed them yet.

"_What is that?!_" Torn hissed, hand on his own weapon... though he was doubtful his blasters would do any damage. The titan like machine was covered head to toe in that damn near indestructible Precursor metal, its coppery-gold sheen reflecting light in every direction. Every footfall seemed to make the ground beneath them shake, and with each movement of its arms the air filled with an echoing grinding of gears.

Jak sighed, and rubbed his temple with two fingers in an attempt to ease his growing migraine. His senses were threatening to overtake him, and the overabundance of Eco that flowed through the mountain around them caused a dull ache. He hastily glanced around... nothing of note stuck out to him, and he quietly replied to Torn's question, "Probably a guardian of some kind... it doesn't really look like the mining one we fought before. This one looks like an actual weapon."

"Oh, you've fought one before?" Sarcasm oozed from Torn's hushed statement, "Why am I not surprised? How the hell do we beat it?"

"Same way you beat a Terraformer," Jak replied, pressing himself against the rock at his back. He let out a slow breath to steady himself, "You get lucky."

"Wonderful." Torn craned his neck to observe their newest obstacle. It still had its back turned to them, and was trudging around without any real purpose. Its glowing blue eyes – if you could call them that – slowly scanned the room. The KG commander slouched back down and looked back toward Jak, "What's the plan?"

"No idea."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"Of course you a..."

Daxter hastily waved his hand at the two arguing warriors, ears pulled back, "Uh, guys...? I think he heard you."

Without skipping a beat everyone immediately popped their heads up and over the rock, only to realize they had to move. Quickly.

The machine had its attention on them, eyes changing from bright blue to deep red. It moved far faster than its broad stature suggested it could, one arm scooping down to grab hold of a massive, jagged boulder at its feet. Within seconds the stone was hurtling through the air toward the group.

Torn cursed and shoved Keira in one direction, just as Jak and Samos dashed away in the other. Chunks of stone exploded as the rock struck, shattering with a loud crack. Whatever the boulders were made of, they were more fragile than they originally appeared.

Jak growled as he hunched protectively over the Sage, eyes settled harshly on their new foe. A few snappy jolts of Dark Eco jittered across his frame, and he resisted giving in to his growing rage. Samos narrowed his eyes on the youth and tensed, but held his tongue when he noticed that Jak was making a conscious effort to keep himself calm… which was no doubt difficult considering his current mental and physical state.

Their new cover was hardly suitable for protection. Jak once again scanned the area, only to be disappointed when his search yielded nothing that would give them an advantage. His normal blaster fire wouldn't do much against the guardian's armor, and he hesitated to use Tess's custom mod... it would drain his ammo to next to nothing, and there was no telling what else they would come across in the near future. Plus, he didn't even know if it would work — all he had to go on was Keira's description on what it had done to Erol, as he couldn't remember anything from the actual fight.

Torn took a few useless pot-shots from his new hiding place, brushing Keira away and indicating she should get somewhere safer... not that he had any idea where that would be in this cavern. After a few seconds he'd drawn the machine's attention away from his friends, and he gave a quick nod so that they could scatter even further.

The Precursor robot stomped toward the commander, then slowly raised one arm. Ancient gears clicked together as plates of its armor shifted, revealing what most certainly looked like a weapon of some sort.

"Shit." Torn backed away just as the robot fired. A hot, sizzling laser sliced clean through the stone that he had only seconds ago vacated, and followed him as he turned to run. The sound that accompanied it bounced off the walls and caused his ears to ring, and he could actually feel the heat of the beam as it closed in on him. At the last second he dropped and rolled to the side, barely dodging the assault. He briefly watched as it continued to zig-zag across the ground and up the wall, black smoldering soot left in its path. He could hear the build up of energy as the enemy prepared another shot.

There was a sudden blast from behind him, and Torn jerked his head around just in time to see Jak open fire on the back of the robot, drawing its attention away from its chosen prey. The Eco-infused youth darted out from behind his rock, took a single shot with his Peace Maker mod, then sneered when the bot virtually ignored the blast.

The Precursor titan took aim at its new attacker, and once again fired its laser. Crackling energy missed its mark by inches, and the machine swept its arm in a large arc to follow the now retreating warrior. Torn did his best to try and regain its attention, but it looked as though it was completely dedicated on killing Jak instead.

"Son of a bitch..." Torn huffed, reloading. He didn't know what to do. His guns weren't meant to take down something like this... he'd always relied on small, accurate weapons over big, bulky powerful ones — not that it really mattered after all, Jak's powerful Peace Maker mod did nothing. He didn't even have Jinx's explosives; Ashelin had them in her pack... wherever she was.

Keira's panicked voice suddenly sliced through the air and Torn jerked his attention back toward the fight. His heart practically leapt from his throat.

Jak had stumbled. He had tripped over a large crack in the floor and was sent sprawling with Daxter flung from his shoulder. The robot hadn't stopped firing its laser, and instantly honed in on the tainted youth's location.

Jak acted more on instinct than anything, mind blanking as he flung one hand out in front of himself, fingers outstretched. He felt a sudden, warm surge of energy from deep inside his chest worm its way up his arm and jump free from his fingertips.

There was an explosion as the laser struck the newly formed shield. Smoke filled the air as the beam continued its bombardment, and Jak let out a weak cry, the sudden unexpected strain of using his Light Eco giving him a nasty shock. He almost faltered, and for a brief moment everyone held their breath as the shield flickered slightly.

Jak kept one hand out, his mind solely focused on keeping control of his powers. His other hand gripped tightly at his chest, claws digging roughly through the cloth and no doubt breaking the skin underneath. He could feel his fingers burning... his body's Dark Eco was reacting poorly, surging just beneath the surface, searing him from the inside out. He could practically feel the corruption spreading, but he swallowed dryly and tried his best to ignore it. Rage continued to build, and he fought desperately to keep it at bay despite feeling himself slipping.

Dark Eco boiled in his blood, aching to free itself. He could feel the scattered, jumpy bolts of violet energy crackle across his body as he continued to fight back, forcing himself to pull at the pool of still non-corrupted Light Eco.

Jak began to feel light-headed, his vision swimming. He bit down hard on his lip as his internal battle shifted, hoping the sharp bit of pain would keep him grounded. Snapping jolts of Dark Eco broke through to the surface, and he found himself juggling the two forces within his own body. It was overbearingly painful, quickly overwhelming him and breaking his concentration. He tried to shift to one knee, only to stumble back down. He felt the shield weakening, and realized exactly what was happening: his Light Eco was now more vulnerable than ever to the corruption, and was quickly being eaten way. Panic set in.

He felt a sudden surge of energy and there was a blinding flash of light that accompanied a powerful, unexpected shock-wave of power. It tore itself free from the now staggering youth, and ripped across the room toward the Precursor robot. The laser it had been firing melted away as it was absorbed by the expanding energy.

Torn, Samos and Keira all quickly ducked behind whatever cover they could find. The stone that protected them shook, but held up just long enough to withstand the blast before crumbling away, conflicting bolts of Light and Dark Eco bouncing across the floor beneath their feet.

Several moments passed and Torn found his hearing returning... there was a muffled, static like sound coming from the direction of the Precursor robot, and he snapped his eyes open and focused.

The machine was stumbling backward, snapping energy dancing across its armor. Its protective chest covering was damaged, and through the cracks he could see a pulsing, energetic core of blue energy. Its eyes were also a dull blue, and not focused on anyone or anything in particular.  
If he had to guess, it was shorting out. It jerked erratically and swayed back and forth before growing completely still, the light in its chest fading away and leaving it a dead, imposing monolith of a machine.

Torn took the chance to stand, ready to duck back down if the robot reacted in any way, shape or form. It didn't move, and he gave an inward sigh of relief...

"Shit! Jak!" Daxter's shrill cry echoed off the chamber's walls, drawing the commander's attention back toward his comrade.

Jak was no longer where he had originally tripped; instead he had been flung backward across the room, no doubt by the same pulse of energy he'd unleashed on his foe. He was slumped weakly, hunched against the cavern wall. Small jolts of Eco, both Light and Dark, dissipated across the floor around him, but it was obviously unintentional and completely uncontrolled.

Torn couldn't see Jak's face... it was hung too low, and his long hair was draped messily around his features.

But he could see the blood that dripped down from somewhere beneath that mop of hair, staining the younger warrior's pants and pooling on the ground. He was already running toward Jak when he heard Keira let out a gasp and Samos curse from across the room.

Not bothering to slow himself, Torn practically slid as he knelt at Jak's side. Daxter looked up at the commander pleadingly, before shifting his focus back to his friend, "Jak?"

Torn was about to make an attempt to steady the youth, only to be stopped when Samos floated up beside him and scolded, "Don't touch him!"

Seconds later the mechanic had joined their huddle. Keira looked as ready to help as Torn was, but Samos shooed her away as well. They both understood why once the Sage placed a steady hand against Jak's shoulder, and a strong purple bolt of Dark Eco snapped up against his skin. It burned and sizzled, only to be slowly healed by the Green Eco within his own body. The Sage cringed, "Jak can you hear me?"

Jak mumbled something incoherent in reply, but gave a stiff nod and waved his hand dismissively.

Samos sighed, "Ok… Ok, at least that's something." He slowly began channeling Green Eco as he examined his charge. With a careful hand he once again brought Jak's chin up so that he could look at his face, "Hold still."

Jak was slightly more pale than before, and sweating. The corruption was still pulsing on the side of his neck with each ragged breath he took, and his eyes were still clouded and dull. One clawed hand was still entangled in the cloth of his cloak, and Samos had to pry it away to keep Jak from hurting himself further. Blood dribbled from the boy's nose and mouth, coating his chin, and his breathing was raspy and slightly labored… though he didn't appear to be as mentally unstable as when he lost control in the prison. It caused the Sage to pause and consider if that meant Jak's mind and body were adapting, or if he was just getting better at hiding his anguish.

After a few tense seconds Jak shook his head and wheezed, "I'm… ok..."

"Are you kidding me!?" Daxter roared, "Seriously Jak?!"

He clenched his teeth before giving in to a gurgling series of coughs, "Don't yell... Dax."

"Just concentrate on channeling the Green Eco." Samos instructed, making an effort to keep his voice low and shush the ottsel, "I don't know exactly what you did, but it caused a bit of internal damage to your body. Let's get that stable before we worry about anything else."

The youth cocked his head and slurred, "Didn't mean to... use Light Eco... just happened..." He growled slightly, eyelids drifting closed as he attempted to concentrate, "Dark Eco... reacted... tried to take over… had to stop them both…"

Samos grew still, unsuccessful in his attempt to hide the wavering in his voice, "You channeled them both at once?" He took a sharp breath and shook his head, "That shouldn't be possible."

"Seems like you're learning a lot of impossible crap isn't so impossible lately..." Daxter grumbled, but grew sheepish as he continued, "...but I don't think Jak's ever done that before."

"I usually have to... transform for shields... It hurt..." Jak croaked, eyes still clenched tight, "Couldn't stop it..."

"I imagine so." Samos nodded, "They are polar opposites. Using them together would be catastrophic..." He used one hand to get a better feel for the young warrior's warring Eco levels, and the other to stroke his beard in thought, "Or rather, it should be... Never mind... Focus on the Green Eco."

Jak groaned but complied. He was already starting to look better, but the effort was clearly strained. "It's getting harder..."

"What is?"

This question sent a very obvious flash of anger, followed by a subdued sense of pain across Jak's features as he answered. He sniffed loudly, then crudely cleared his throat, bringing one hand to wipe away some of the blood that still leaked from his nose, "Channeling."

The revelation shouldn't have startled the Sage as much as it did... after all, they _had_ been told that Jak's body was going to begin rejecting the base types of Eco again. Still, Samos couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and guilt. He gently placed a hand on the struggling youth's shoulder in comfort, "I'm sorry."

Jak briefly looked annoyed, but that eventually faded and he shrugged himself free from the Sage's grip, "'S fine. Knew it was gonna happen."

Another stray bolt of Dark Eco leapt between the two channelers. A pain induced gasp escaped Jak's lips, and he snapped his eyes shut in concentration, "S...Sorry. I need a minute... just a minute..."

Jak fidgeted under the Sage's grip, desperate to ignore the stares he could still feel settling on him despite his closed eyes. He struggled to push back the swarming, swirling Eco that refused to be reined in.

What disturbed him the most was that it wasn't _just _his Dark Eco. The Light Eco was resisting as well, lashing out against not only its counterpart, but his own attempts to keep in control. They both surged against one another, fighting for dominance... They mixed chaotically, burning inside like acid.

Not that his Light Eco _could_ win. The corruption hindered it, broke his mental shields. The Dark Eco had the upper hand now, as his current physical appearance made glaringly obvious. He would never show it, but he knew it wouldn't be long before his body gave out... before everything came crashing down. Before it just... ended. It almost sickened him to admit to himself that maybe... just maybe... part of him wanted it to. He was just too tired.

Even so, he couldn't give in yet. There was still one last job to do. They had to find whatever it was the Precursors had left here... the machine that was supposed to save the world.

Slowly but surely he managed to push back against his Eco and overbearing senses. He gripped at his scarf a bit and pulled, loosening it enough to use in his attempt to clean up his face.

"Here..." Torn grumbled, and Jak cracked open his eyes and looked up at the commander.

A bottle of water was held out for him, and with a snarky eye roll, the corrupted youth accepted the offering and yanked the rest of his scarf free from around his neck. He carefully poured a bit of the liquid on it and wiped his nose, "I guess we just keep going then..."

"Do you wanna rest a bit more?" Keira asked quietly.

"No. Gotta find the others." Jak replied coolly, meeting her gaze for a split second looking away, then shoving to his feet. He felt a bit guilty about not being completely honest with her... while he _was_ anxious to find his friends, he was also eager to get moving and reach their goal before he lost control or worse. He continued to avoid her scrutinizing glare as he held out one arm to beckon Daxter up to his shoulder. If he let her get a good look at his face, there was no doubt she'd be able to read into how he was _actually_ feeling... and if she didn't, Daxter definitely would, but at least he'd keep quiet about it.

The mechanic frowned as Jak stumbled forward. Of course she knew he was lying to her, it was clear as day all over his stupid face... She contemplated calling him out on it, but sighed and shook her head instead, knowing it would only start an argument. Daxter shared a discreet look with her that only proved what she already knew: Jak wasn't ok. Jak wasn't even close to ok.

The rest of the group slowly gained their wits and followed, all eyes glued on Jak's slightly slumped back. Daxter was rigid on his shoulder, his fear and concern over his friend canceling out his urge to act obnoxiously.

The youth suddenly stopped and his ears practically twitched as he cocked his head to the side. He grew tense and let out an angry growl, "Get to cover…"

"What?" Torn questioned, instinctively placing a hand on his blaster. He stiffened, eyes scanning the room as the rest of the group voiced similar concerns.

"Eco's building up... It's reactivating! Go!" Jak bellowed, just as the giant machine in front of them began to hum. Blue sparks ignited in its chest, and it raised one arm to shield its partially exposed core. It didn't move as smoothly as before, it's ancient gears rattling loudly from the beating it had taken from Jak's attack, but that didn't seem to hinder it too much.

Once again the group split and went in two directions. Torn and Keira in one, Samos and Jak in the other. There was far less for them to hide behind now, the shockwave from earlier having damaged most of the boulders and piping, but they each hastily managed to find something before the robot regained enough of its senses to lash out on them.

Keira cursed and peered from behind her hiding place. She studied the robot as quickly as she could, desperate to find any weaknesses in its armor. It wasn't anything like the modern KG robots or zoomers she was used to working on, but her days in Sandover had given her a solid familiarity with the ancient Precursor technology. She regretted having not been any help earlier, and was anxious to pull her weight.

The core was obviously its weakest point. It sizzled with blue Eco, providing power for the rest of its limbs and whatever type of operating system it had. She didn't even have to be a mechanic to know that, and no doubt the others realized it too. Unfortunately the robot's arms were large, and thickly plated. The one it had pulled across its chest was more than adequate to shield it from further damage. It could rotate at its waist, and she found herself imagining the type of ball joint it must have under its armor to allow for that. It would probably be fragile, but once again it was well protected by the massive, decorated plates of armor that seemed impenetrable.

But they weren't impenetrable. Whatever Jak had done earlier had proved that: he'd managed to crack the protective casing, revealing its inner workings.

Not that she could just ask him to do that again… He clearly hadn't _meant_ to do that, and she certainly didn't want Jak to hurt himself again in the attempt. None the less, it showed that the machine _wasn't_ indestructible. It was just another robot to be dismantled… like Erol.

No one had moved yet, and the robot seemed to consider which of the intruders it wanted to eliminate first. There must have been some type of programming to allow for it to narrow down the biggest threat, because it finally seemed to decide that Jak was the most dangerous. She watched as it rotated, then slowly marched its way in the youth's direction.

"Nothing…" Keira cursed as the robot turned away from her, "There's gotta be something… but there's not!" Her eyes scanned every inch of the machine, imagining what type of base framing it must have had, theorizing on weak points. If they couldn't opt for its core, then its shoulders, waist and knees would be ideal… but the protective plating was so well designed, so complete that they couldn't reach them. She briefly considered Tess's mod before shaking her head… it _might_ work if they could get it _inside_ its chest cavity, which would be difficult. If the blast hit anywhere else, it would probably just flow around the metal. For all they knew, the only reason the armor had even cracked was because it was a combination of Light and Dark Eco that had done it... Precursor metal was insanely durable, and she highly doubted her ottsel friend would have even thought to account for it. She had no choice but to stay hidden and continue to mull over their options.

Jak groaned when he realized that the robot had zeroed in on him, and his muscles tensed as he prepared himself to run. There had to be something they could do that didn't involve him losing control to inner Eco… he couldn't chance that again.

That's when he felt a distant tug on his senses. Something faint… familiar. His eyes scanned the room and he held his breath as they settled on what was causing the sensation.

Daxter noticed Jak's sudden distracted stare, and turned his gaze in the same direction. His furry brow creased when he realized what Jak had found. He immediately knew what type of plan was forming in Jak's head, and he really, really didn't like it.

On a far wall near the robot's initial attack on Torn was a thin, metal pipe that weaved its way in and out of the stone. A charred, still smoking path caused by the machine's laser dug into the cavern wall, leading its way across the pipe. It had ruptured, and was leaking a steady, gas like cloud of Yellow Eco. Small gold sparks flickered in the smoggy substance, shining like little chunks of glitter before fading out.

Samos had also noticed the pause, and as soon as Jak began to move the Sage gripped the boy's wrist tightly, "You are _not_ going to channel that."

Jak's eyes moved toward the robot to make sure it was still far enough away and not aiming a deadly laser at them before swaying back toward the Sage, "It might work better than our guns!"

"It might." Samos agreed, his narrow stare never leaving Jak's. The boy wasn't lying… even though the modern blaster's ammo utilized small amounts of Eco, there was nothing that compared to a truly talented Eco channeler with an unaltered source of power. "But you're hardly…"

"We don't have a choice!" Jak sneered, yanking his arm free a bit too violently, "I'll manage."

The Sage stumbled slightly, but lashed out once again to regain his hold, "You can't!"

"Our blasters don't work!" Jak argued, once again checking on the now quickly approaching robot. Too much closer and he'd have a hell of a time dodging its laser. "Ashelin and the others are who knows where, and we have no way of knowing when the next freaking earthquake will strike…" he growled angrily, letting his eyes darken as inky swirls of Dark Eco rippled across their surface, "We _need_ to get to the stupid machine before that happens… before I…" He stopped cold, gritting his teeth, "If I lose it during another quake… or if something happens before then, we're all dead."

Samos's frown deepened and he hesitated, giving Jak the opportunity to break free without hassle. Jak gave him a stiff nod, as if to show he appreciated the concern, then reached up to pluck the ottsel from his shoulder. He roughly shoved him toward the Sage despite the loud protests, startling both Daxter and Samos.

"What. The. Hell!?" Daxter clawed at Jak's arm in an attempt to climb back up to his shoulder, "Jak?"

"Stay here with Samos." Jak ordered, "Dunno what's gonna happen when I channel…"

"No way!" the ottsel cried out, but was near powerless to resist.

"Jak, stop!" Samos made one last attempt to reason with his charge, but was entirely unsuccessful. He cursed under his breath and planted one steady hand on Daxter's shoulder to stop him from running off after the stubborn youth.

The robot almost seemed to be caught off guard as it shifted to follow the dashing warrior, whirling its head around at its base to compute its next course of action. Keira took note: Its head pivoted just like its waist, which meant another fragile ball joint. The armor around this wasn't as thick, and she wondered if the head held its navigation equipment. If they could get a powerful blast upward and in, it might hinder it enough that it wouldn't be able to track them… at least she hoped so anyway.

A soft hum echoed through the chamber, indication that the machine had to recharge its laser after being hit by Jak's shockwave. This gave him a few moments uninterrupted, and he found himself dashing between the two large stones that Keira and Torn were tucked behind.

Jak gave one stubborn look at the KG commander and warned as he continued his trot, "Gonna try somethin'… be ready."

Torn nodded, attention pulled to the machine as the humming grew louder. Keira took the time to trace Jak's direction, eyes finding the cracked Eco pipe nearby. Her heart nearly jumped into her throat as she figured out exactly what he was about to do. Shaking off the unease, she hastily called out, "Under the curved plate at its… uh… chin thing!"

Jak slowed for a moment to send her a questioning look before glancing back over his shoulder at the lumbering golem. A flash of realization hit him, and he nodded, giving her a thumbs up. Torn sent the mechanic a quizzical look as well.

After what seemed like an eternity Jak found himself just a few feet away from the newly revealed Eco source, and he couldn't help but give a nervous shudder… Part of him really hoped that his Light and Dark Eco wouldn't interfere or go nuts… the other part was admittedly a bit excited to have an opportunity to channel the Yellow Eco.

Jak held out his palms and concentrated on quickly drawing in the unfiltered power. He gave one undignified yelp as a small shock was sent through his body... proving he was right about the channeling getting more difficult, but it quickly faded away into a very welcomed familiar sensation. A dull throb coursed through him, and he let muscle memory take over.

While Green Eco was a gentle wave, and Blue Eco was a crashing surge of lightning, Yellow Eco was a pulsing energy, it was warm and caused his skin to tingle. He turned away from the source and wavered a bit, expertly drawing the power through his body. He was immensely relieved to discover that while he could feel his Light and Dark Eco stirring and threatening to bubble to the surface, it was manageable… it was in the background, and as long as he didn't lose his focus he could keep it there.

His heightened senses weren't as forgiving. His hearing relayed that the laser was just about done charging, and the loud echoing clangs of the robot's joints and gears made his ears burn. He could actually smell the Eco that sizzled between his fingertips and despite it being overwhelming, he was slightly amused to find out is smelled like hot embers… He almost chuckled, but his stomach chose that moment to churn slightly and he partially gagged instead. He swallowed hard, and turned back to face the machine.

Keira and Torn were close enough to see that Jak's irises had streaks of glowing yellow, visible even through the cloudy fog caused by his Dark Eco induced state. His hands also glowed slightly, small sparks crackling in the air as he took a deep, labored breath and began a mad dash toward the robot.

Keira wrung her fingers, knuckles white from the pressure. She gasped as he fired a weak test shot from one hand, the concentrated energy zipping through the air like a bullet. It struck the robot in the arm it was using to shield its core, and after a few seconds of sizzling the energy dispersed, leaving behind a small, molten spot on the robot's armor.

Jak took that as a good sign, and urged his legs to go faster. Small blue sparks began to sputter from the tip of the laser, informing him that he had maybe seconds to pull off the dangerous stunt.

He took a deep breath and dove, rolling just shy of a full frontal blast from the piercing beam of light that erupted from the machine's weapon. He felt it singe the tip of one ear and gave a startled hiss, but kept his momentum going, hastily finding himself mere feet from the now startled bot. If it could have gaped it no doubt would have as it tried to calculate its next move.

Jak took the opportunity to claw his way up the front of the machine, claws digging and gripping tightly at whatever hold they could get. He felt it pull its arm closer, completely engulfing the tears in its chest. Not a single gap was visible, and he wondered if the machine was designed with this in mind.

Not that it mattered... that wasn't what Jak was aiming for. With a loud grunt the youth placed a shaking hand just underneath the machine's 'chin' and unleashed a powerful blast inside the tiny cavity.

The effects were instantaneous. The robot almost seemed to wail as it stumbled back, its laser firing for a few seconds at nothing in particular, leaving a deep, black groove in the stone beneath them. The light in its eyes died out, and a mix of yellow and blue jolts of energy jumped free from the small crevices in its plating. It was definitely confused, but that didn't stop it from reaching with its free arm to rip Jak away before he ever had a chance to escape.

The pressure of the machine's grip smothered the breath from Jak's lungs, and stars dotted his vision. He felt himself get flung back through the air, then crash shoulder first into something solid. He roared out in pain and slumped, mind blank. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of his consciousness his instincts screamed at him that he was still channeling the Yellow Eco and needed to focus, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so.

Torn opened fire on the robot to distract it, drawing its attention toward him. Its vision was fried, and the machine was now thrashing and stomping wildly in an attempt to crush anything that came near. It fired a few random shots with its laser before once again needing to recharge.

Somehow it seemed to know not to back up, much to the group's dismay. If it would only tumble back a few yards it would fall into the deep ravine and be out of their lives forever... but no such luck... it was dangerously close to the platform they needed to escape on, so they couldn't even risk sneaking past it. Keira speculated that it probably had the layout of the room ingrained in its programming, and somehow could at least detect where it was located without having to 'see'.

"We still need to get at its core!" Keira called, only to visibly pale when the robot turned its attention toward her. She darted away when it kicked a small boulder in her direction, "Well... it can still hear!"

Jak groaned and used one hand to steady himself. His mind was finally clearing, but his left shoulder was in agony, and he suspected he had at least a few bruised ribs. He somehow found a way to combat the Light and Dark Eco that attempted to take over, and hang on to the little bit of Yellow he had left. He needed that. He wanted it. He wanted to shoot it at that stupid robot right in its stupid core.

He knew it had to happen fast though. Once again he could feel his health slipping away, and he tasted blood as it dribbled from his nose. He snorted, and shoved himself weakly to his feet.

They needed to get it to expose itself.

"Need a hand?" A loud, booming voice echoed across the chamber, and the machine spun to face in the opposite direction. It couldn't quite tell where the noise had come from, so it fired its laser in a wide arc that did nothing but damage stone.

Everyone else could see. Every pair of eyes in the room shot up to the ridge that housed the glass wall above them.

"Siggy!" Daxter screeched happily, only to have Samos silence him with his palm. Once again the robot veered in their direction, and the Sage snatched up the ottsel and dashed away.

Sig grunted, pulling his Peace Maker from his back and opening fire in one fluid motion. He was a good distance away, but easily managed to aim true, striking the robot from behind.

Unfortunately, much like Jak's mod, it did little more than scuff the bot's armor. He cursed, narrowing his brow to glare down at the machine.

"We need something stronger!" Torn hollered, but not before taking a quick moment to look for Ashelin. He shoved back his fear when he was unable to locate her, focusing instead on the task at hand.

Sig turned away for a brief second and muttered something they couldn't hear. A few seconds later Ashelin stumbled forward, supported by Seem under one arm. She had the other pressed against her stomach, wrapped snugly in her cloak.

If Torn were alone he probably would have jumped for joy and called out to her, but he was a professional soldier, so he stopped himself. Then he noticed the blood.

She was coated in it; large dark splotches that matched the color of her hair. Her skin was pale, and she moved stiffly.

Torn couldn't help himself, and he stepped free from his cover, "Ash!?"

The robot honed in on him and fired a shot. It would have struck too, had Jak not tackled him out of the way. The two men were sent sprawling, and Jak let out a cry turned growl and shoved violently away from the commander and to his feet. He glared for a moment before gripping his head with one hand. A vicious migraine was forming... He needed to release the Yellow Eco soon, or it would cause some serious damage to his nerves — not to mention the quickly increasing chance of falling prey to his Light and Dark Eco. He swayed slightly on his feet, and shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

Torn scrambled to stand and helped steady the youth, pulling him away as quietly as possible. He could feel the heat radiating from Jak's skin and whispered quietly, "You ok?"

Jak jerked his head and met Torn's gaze with his own. He scrunched his brow and narrowed his glowing eyes, looking like he was about to speak. Instead he clenched them shut and shook his head. He ripped himself free from Torn's grip and jerked his head toward the increasingly frantic robot.

Torn hesitated momentarily before a sudden realization hit him... he'd never actually heard Jak speak when he was channeling — really channeling, not the minor stuff he sometimes did. The stuff that defied logic. Shooting fireballs from his hands and turning into crazy magic beings with wings kinda stuff.

Curiosity peaked in the back of his mind and he suddenly connected it to Daxter's 'mute' jokes. He tucked that information away for questioning for later… if there was a later.

The governor passed something to Sig, who in turn tossed it over the pit onto the ground below. Keira was closest, so she made a hectic dash toward the object and scooped it up just as Torn gave a shout to distract the golem.

Keira hastily took the opportunity to duck behind a boulder, joining her father and Daxter. Only then did she realize what she was holding.

One of Jinx's charges. It wasn't a very large one... but knowing the explosives expert, it wouldn't matter, "This might work..." Keira grinned deviously, turning toward her furry friend, "Daxter?"

"Oh no!" The ottsel cocked his head and waved a hand, "The look. I hate that look."

"Think you could tuck this between its arm and chest somewhere?"

"What!?"

"It's our best chance. If it doesn't blast it apart, it might give us the opening we need at its core..."

Daxter frowned, "You want me... to climb that thing?"

"Jak did it earlier."

"Jak's insane." Daxter sighed, and after a few hesitant seconds held out his hand, curling and uncurling his fingers, "...and I guess I am too. Give it over."

She smiled wide and placed the explosive in the open palm, then advised, "Careful. You'll only have a few seconds to get away once you set it."

The ottsel gave a salute and scurried off toward the bot. Every set of eyes followed his progress, and even Jak— as distracted as he was— cocked his head curiously to watch. Once he realized what was happening he couldn't help but give a smug smirk as he prepared to utilize his remaining Yellow Eco.

Daxter was small and quiet enough to reach the robot without incident. Fast as lightning he scurried up its armor and tucked the charge as well as he could between its arm and chest. A quick flip of the switch and he vacated, scampering as quickly as he could toward Jak, who didn't object when his best friend scampered up to his shoulder.

Everyone took cover. Jak preemptively covered his ears, and seconds later the explosion rang out, shaking the floor beneath them. He cringed, but forced himself to his feet and dashed out toward the machine.

The robot was still moving, but the majority of its arm was missing, as well as several layers of plated armor. It stumbled, and jerked sideways, and Jak took aim before it had a chance to curl its other arm around to shield its clearly damaged core.

Jak unleashed the remaining Yellow Eco he'd been channeling in one, solid shot. It struck true, and there was a bright flash of light as it fried the pulsing power source. After several long seconds the robot finally stopped shuddering and slumped, the glowing light in its chest fading away.

He gave it a few long moments before he exhaled a deep breath he didn't even notice he was holding, and sank exhausted to his knees. His damaged shoulder protested as he attempted to stretch it, and he winced. He used his other hand to cradle his forehead… now that he wasn't under the constant pressure from the Yellow Eco his body was less stressed, but he felt completely drained and everything ached. Once again he was reminded of how fragile his actual control over his Light and Dark Eco was — his blood felt like it was on fire as they raged — and his senses had practically exploded. He could hear the panicked footsteps of his friends, and Sig's concerned shout from the ledge far above them, though he couldn't quite make out what he was saying over the pounding echo of his own heart.

The adrenaline that had kept him moving and desperate was fading, and a wheeze escaped from deep within his chest. For the second time in the past hour he found himself tasting blood as it bubbled up from his raw throat, and dripped from his nose. He was vaguely aware of Samos poking and prodding at him, and Daxter chattering something in his ear, but it was like everything was so loud and overbearing that it caused his mind to go numb. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back and concentrated on regaining his senses... He hadn't passed out, and had managed to channel without completely loosing it, so he figured he couldn't be too bad off.

Samos carefully placed a hand on the side of his face, which sobered him a bit and caused his clouded blue eyes to shift and focus on the Sage. He felt like he'd smacked his head against something hard... but he knew that had never happened. He blinked a few times as he tried to tune into what Samos was prattling on about.

"No... Just too much strain..." The Green Eco Sage wasn't just speaking to him, but to the others in the room, "...should have released it much sooner if he was struggling so much..."

Jak snickered, and brushed the Sage's hand away before murmuring, "Out of practice..."

"Yellow Eco always was the hardest for you to maintain..." A small, almost nonexistent smile pulled at the corners of Samos's lips, "...and I suppose it has been a while. Still, I feel like I taught you better than that."

Jak nodded, choosing to ignore the jab at his abilities, his mental facilities finally settling and clearing. He looked around for his previously discarded scarf, only to be surprised when Daxter held it out for him. The ottsel rolled his eyes, "I went and got it while you were all loopy."

Jak nodded appreciatively, then proceeded to clean up his face, "Didn't hurt as bad as my shield earlier..."

Samos gave a hum of approval, "Your body didn't react as negatively either. Less internal damage..." He paused as if he was considering if he should continue, "...though I am concerned with your fluctuating Eco levels and how deeply the Eco strain seems to have affected you. I was almost convinced you had a concussion there for a moment..."

"How is he?" Sig's voice bellowed from above.

Jak winced, his hearing still oversensitive, but he shoved away the discomfort and attempted to stand. He stumbled a bit, but was caught by the arm — thankfully his good arm — by Torn. After a second or two he was steady on his feet and he gave the wastelander a weary wave.

Ashelin and Seem had pulled away from the ledge and were now out of sight, which only served to remind Jak that he had yet to see Damas or Vin. This sparked a sense of fear, and he pushed himself to move toward the Precursor platform that he hoped would take them to the area above. The rest of the group followed quietly, both eager to get away from the treacherous robot, and ecstatic that they would be reacquainted with their friends.

Torn was practically chomping at the bit to get to Ashelin, so he was more than ready to fire a few shots from his blaster and power the lift. It was too small to carry them all, so he motioned for Samos to board first, then followed. Jak and Keira would have to wait for the return trip.

No one objected. Torn wasn't the only one who'd seen the blood that covered the redhead, and they all had worrying thoughts about what had happened and who the blood belonged too.

It had only taken about a minute for the two trips to take place, and Jak found himself scanning his surroundings. The ledge they were on sloped upwards a bit, and there was a large, ornate metal door several meters back away from the glass windows. There were a few old, defunct Precursor computers along one wall, several pipes and tubes once again running from floor to ceiling along the stone. Following the glass panes was a conveyor belt of sorts, with a chute at the far end. Next to that, another door that was reminiscent of the elevator they'd taken earlier.

Sig didn't really give anyone the chance to get comfortable, and he quickly nodded toward the decorative doors. "Back this way is a room we can rest in. Ash and the others are there..."

"How is everyone? What happened to your group?" Samos asked as he trudged along behind the large wastelander. Sig shrugged, grimacing slightly as he used his hand to pat a few of his ribs, "Long story. Looks like you've all been dealing with somethin' just as messy though."

The doors creaked loudly as they opened outward into a small, domed area housing several more conveyor belts that seemed to drop off into a pit at the far end. Another door was barricaded tightly shut against the far wall, and there was a small, crackling fire blazing in the center of the room. Seem was stoking the flame with a twisted metal rod she'd obviously found strewn about, and Ashelin was sitting cross legged next to her, arm still wrapped and pulled tightly against her chest. She was coddling it with her free hand, and had dark sunken circles under her eyes. Her hair was frazzled, but she turned and grinned sheepishly when she heard the others approach.

Torn was at her side in seconds, demanding to be told what had happened. Ashelin looked a bit overwhelmed, and Sig began to relay the events that had transpired.

Jak only half listened as he trudged toward the third figure that was near the fire. Damas.

The old wastelander was unconscious, and it looked like the others had taken the time to lay his cloak out under him. Sig had obviously given his up to act as a blanket, and one of the packs was propped up under his head as a makeshift pillow.

Vin was standing guard over the man, one of his mechanical legs mangled at the joint near his body, several scrapes and dents in the small plates that protected the spider-bot's inner workings. His blue little light focused on Jak as he approached, and he chirped quietly, "Oh... Oh hey Jak. Glad you're ok..."

Jak grunted in response and practically collapsed next to his father. He cocked his head to the side and his brow tightened as he suddenly felt a strange tug from within.

A tug from his Light Eco... something was off. He curiously hovered one hand over the man in front of him, concentrating on the sensation. After a few seconds he mumbled just above his breath, "Can't be right..." Again he felt it, and he frowned. He half stated, half questioned to no one in particular, "That's... not good?"

Daxter observed Jak's odd behavior, even if the others were too wrapped up in Sig's story to notice themselves. The ottsel leaned forward and peered into his friend's face as he quietly asked, "What's up Jak?"

The Eco infused youth seemed to grow even more startled once he was questioned, and he shook his head. Slowly he turned back to his friends and narrowed his eyes. He cleared his throat, effectively interrupting the captivating tale of robots and slides, "So... anyone wanna tell me why the hell he has residue Light Eco in his body!?"

That gained everyone's attention. Sig gave a long, exasperated sigh, "He channeled it."

"He _what!?"_ Jak growled, the very tone demanding an explanation.

"I was gettin' to it!" The wastelander explained, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, "Long story short, Ash was bleeding out all over the place, and no matter how much Green Eco we used her arm just wasn't healin'. The bones kept... well, it wasn't pretty. It was downright nasty."

Ashelin almost looked sick as she cradled her arm closer. Sig simply continued, "Your dad there found some of the white stuff in Seem's pack and said somethin' about her teachin' him and all."

"You were _teaching _him!?" Jak was on his feet now and stomping past the fire. He grabbed the front of the monks cloak and yanked her to eye level, "Since when!?"

"Hey now!" Sig made to approach, but a deep growl and a warning glare from Jak caused him to hesitate for a moment before he reached out to place a calming hand on the youth's shoulder, "Let her go."

Seem didn't quite look nervous, but Jak could practically smell her anxiety. She fidgeted uncomfortably before steeling herself under the tainted youth's scrutinizing stare, "I hadn't yet. He had asked me to teach him in private before we left for this mountain."

Jak's eyes demanded further clarification. So the Monk continued, "He theorized that if he could channel Dark Eco in the prison, it was fair to assume he would also be able to manipulate Light in an attempt to heal lady Ashelin."

"You know better than that!" Jak roared, shoving the monk away roughly. Sig gave his shoulder a tight squeeze, causing him to yank himself free from the wastelander's grip. He fought to suppress the anger that practically flowed from his pores, "You know better..."

"Jak! Calm down!" Samos attempted to scold the youth, but was cut off immediately.

"No! You don't get it!" Jak spat, grinding his sharpened teeth, "That could have _killed them_ _both_!"

"We didn't have much of a choice!" Sig reasoned, more upset at the youth's attitude than anything, "Plus, it's not like he listened when Seem told him it was a bad idea. You _know_ Damas... do you think _you_ would have been able to stop him? Plus, where do you get off? You fling that stuff around like it's going out of style! Like you're the only one who's allowed to be special!" No sooner than the words were out of his mouth did he instantly regret what he had said. He knew that wasn't true, and internally chided himself for letting himself fall prey to his stress.

Jak gave a loud, angry shout before the wastelander could apologize and let a few jolts of Dark Eco bubble to the surface. Sig instantly pulled away, and the youth turned on his heel and stomped toward Ashelin; he stopped just in front of her and visibly made an attempt to tame his temper before kneeling down and hold out his hand, "Let me see. Now."

She looked apprehensive and sat deathly still, while Torn looked about ready to pounce. Daxter was actively patting Jak's shoulder in an obvious attempt to calm him down, though he oddly looked just as angry as his friend. His eyes were set in an accusing glare in Sig's direction.

Jak noticed the flash of fear that streaked across her eyes and that gave him pause, once again closing his eyes. He hated that look. "I... I'm not going to hurt you. Please."

"Jak, you should let me..." Samos tried to reason, his voice overly soothing.

"I'm not going to push myself." Jak replied with a snarl, "But I need to make sure he did it right, or she could still be in trouble. No amount of Green Eco will draw it out... even from you. No offense."

Everyone tensed, but eventually Ashelin nodded and extended her arm. After everything she'd dished out about respecting him and caring, she'd be a hypocrite to not trust him... and she really _did_ trust him.

Jak slowly opened his eyes and rolled his shoulder to relax his sore muscles. He moved a bit clumsily, still struggling to pull back his own seething anger. As gently as he could he pulled her arm into one palm near her elbow. He was careful to avoid wrapping his fingers too tightly, his sharp nails a constant hindrance.

He silently reminded himself that he needed to be cautious for his own sake as well. He needed to move slowly. There was no way he could let his Eco react like it had earlier... there needed to be a lot more control.

With a long exhale he used his free hand to drag a few steady fingers along the inside of her arm. He let the need to concentrate distract him from his rage, pushing the Dark Eco at his core as far away as he could muster, "I don't just fling it around. You don't..." His voice cracked, and he gave himself a moment to gather his wits before continuing, "You don't understand... and I get it. It's not something that's easy to accept."

Jak began to unravel the bandages around her arm and she briefly panicked. He tightened his grip just enough to assure her before continuing, "It's part of me. The Baron... he..." He felt his fingers twitch and he stopped long enough to calm his nerves, he was tired of trying to find a way to explain this. "Because of what he did, the Precursors had to..."

He felt a pulse of energy ripple through Ashelin's arm, and she no doubt felt it as well if her startled gasp was any indication. His half lidded eyes studied the mending skin meticulously. Her bones were a mess... but they could certainly be worse. As carefully as possible he pulled at that foreign energy, directing it correctly, "Might sting. Shouldn't... but might." He cleared his throat, "They made it permanent. I'm... I... never mind. It just doesn't matter anymore. All you need to know is that Light Eco can be worse than Dark Eco if channeled wrong. Healing yourself with it is instinctual... healing someone else is way more difficult. Especially if you've _never _even touched the stuff before. The fact that you can't bottle it up and pour it on a cut like green Eco should tell you that."

"Jak, listen..." Sig scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I..."

Jak shook his head and cut him off, obviously not ready to accept any sort of apology. "No." He swallowed, his rigid demeanor shifting to something slightly softer, "Damas... he really did this?"

"What's wrong?" Ashelin's voice wavered uneasily, but she had to admit that the strange, tingling sensation in her arm was immensely soothing against the constant pulsing throb of pain.

Jak just hummed quietly in reply, though she was the only one close enough to notice that he looked somewhat impressed... if not amused. He released her arm, "I can't push it any further right now. I'm... too tired. It's not perfect, hell, it's not even great... but Samos should be able to help now."

She nodded understandingly. The pain slowly began to return, but even she could tell that it was better than it had been. Jak shoved away from her without another word, refusing to make eye contact with any of his companions. He tiredly dragged his feet back toward Damas and plopped down on the far side of him, using one of the conveyor belts to lean against. He once again hovered one palm over his father and sighed, but offered no further explanation.

"I think it's safe to say that we all need some time to recuperate," Samos suggested, "I'll make my rounds, but in the meantime if anyone wants to get any sleep, you should do it now before we continue on."

For once no one objected.

* * *

**Author's notes:** A little rest for the group... hope you guys liked the chapter... I had a hell of a time writing this one for some reason.

Don't forget to review! Thanks again for reading!


	20. Chapter 19

**Authors notes: **Hey guys! Gah, it seems like I'm always apologizing for the long waits at this point... but again, sorry for the long wait! Work + Wedding planning + hosting Thanksgiving... ugh.

Not much else to say, other than we're quickly approaching the end now, and it's got me excited! I'm already working on Chapter 20, haha!

Anywhos, on to my reviewers:

Desperate Remedies: Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I was so concerned that particular scene would be too cheesy and overdone haha, it's good to know it went over well with people.

Leach60: I'm glad I've piqued your interest... as for now, mums the word on what's going to happen with that :) Thank you so much for consistently reviewing, it means a lot.

JayneParker: Break? Who needs breaks? How about break-ish? Does that work? Hopefully this chapter doesn't let you down, despite the bit of excitement :)

Oblique Strategies: Angst and Action are what it's about! I struggle pretty hard with Keira, I think, because I really want her to be more than just eye candy or romantic tension for Jak. She deserves that much at least... hopefully I've succeeded.

Katpet: Thanks for reviewing! Hopefully I won't let ya down!

Joe: Nah, I haven't forgotten! I promise the story will be written to completion. As for work... unfortunately there's really never a really a dull moment in my job. I'm sort of a necessary, but often unliked cog in what we in the biz like to call: Local Government... lol. But it is in a bit of a slow stretch right now, luckily. Thank you so much for reading each chapter and reviewing, it means a lot... hopefully the last couple chapters here won't disappoint!

Guest: Looks like you just started the story, so hopefully it kept your interests and by the time you get to this point you'll see this... thank you so much for reading. I'm glad you liked the first few chapters!

Alrighty then, here we are:

CHAPTER NINETEEN

* * *

Daxter was jostled out of his slumber the moment he felt Jak stir. He groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched, craning his neck to glance up at his best friend.

Jak didn't actually appear to be fully awake yet, but it seemed like was getting there. A low groan bubbled up from his throat, and he pulled his cloak tight to fight off a strong shiver. His breath fogged out coldly in front of him as he released a weak sigh.

"Hey, bud…" Daxter mumbled quietly, giving the corrupted youth a pat. He kept his voice low to avoid drawing attention their way. Sig and Torn were currently awake and keeping watch, but they were near the doorway, and talking among themselves.

Jak started suddenly, the unexpected motion causing the ottsel to tumble from his lap. He'd fallen asleep sitting up against one of the convener belts near Damas, and was now hunched forward with one hand against his chest, eyes squinting against the glow from the fire. He gave a few labored breaths and glanced around nervously, as if he didn't quite remember where he was.

"Yeesh…" Daxter shoved to his feet and placed a hand on Jak's arm, surprised by the amount of heat he could feel through fur. That was weird. Jak was never that warm… Without skipping a beat he scurried back up and shot his hand up to place against Jak's forehead.

Jak recoiled instantly, still staring wide eyed in confusion. Daxter caught his breath, "Holy crap, yer burnin' up."

Something about the ottsel's voice seemed to ground Jak, and he blinked a few times before his attention finally settled on his furry friend. He shook his head and curled in on himself further, "It's cold…" His voice was rough, and each word was drawn out between slightly wheezy breaths.

Daxter's ears twitched and practically flattened to his skull at the unintentional whine… it was a sound that the others probably couldn't hear, but his sensitive ottsel ears picked up on it without too much trouble, "Hang on… gonna get Samos."

"'M fine…" It was more a statement then an argument, but Jak's tone and ghostly expression suggested there was no merit behind his words. Daxter was already moving, weaving past Keira and Ashelin, careful to keep his tail away from the dying flames that were currently keeping the room lit and warm.

His movement had caught both Sig and Torn's attention, and the two sentinels silently glanced up to Jak with discrete interest. Neither wanted to move or confront the youth, still cautions over how upset the wastelander's careless comments had made him.

Daxter didn't bother being gentle, but tried his best to remain quiet to avoid waking the others as he shook the Sage's shoulder. It didn't take much, and Samos gave a slight huff but narrowed his eyes curiously.

"I think Jak's got a fever…" It was a whisper, but plenty loud enough for Samos to hear.

This gave the Sage enough incentive to move, and he found himself by the youth's side in a matter of moments. He took a second to simply observe.

Jak wasn't looking at him. Instead his half lidded eyes were distant and empty, barely registering the movement around him. His body looked smaller than normal concealed under his cloak, and his hair was still somewhat disheveled from the fight earlier. His goggles weren't in their normal position; instead they had been removed and placed at his side. Even through his gray pallor he looked somewhat flushed, and his skin had a slick wetness to it that suggested he had woken in a cold sweat.

"Jak?" Samos murmured gently, pulling at and prepping his own Green Eco stores. It was best used for open wounds or internal damage, but he was far superior to the average channeler, and knew how to twist and use the energy in ways that weren't always conventional. He _was_ a Sage after all, and his expertise helped him combat illness at a basic level.

He put on his best 'bedside manner' and placed a palm against his charge's forehead. He fought back a grimace, instead forcing himself to keep a straight, non-descriptive expression. He knew that Jak hadn't been in any mood to socialize earlier… and if the youth had woken in a startled state of fever, he didn't want to push his luck and risk upsetting him further.

Jak didn't have the same amount of control over his facial features, and he jumped a bit at the unexpected touch. Eyes snapped up as if he was just noticing the Sage, and a subdued growl broke the silence. Both parties were tense, but after a few seconds the unease seemed to disappear, and Samos was shocked when the boy's shoulders seemed to slump further as he actually leaned into the contact.

That startled the Sage. Jak typically shirked away from physical contact — rightfully so considering everything he'd been through of course — and Samos couldn't help but stare slightly. Not that Jak seemed to notice... He was clearly only vaguely aware of his surroundings. It would make helping him more difficult.

Samos didn't have to crouch due to his small stature, but he leaned forward slightly and pulled Jak's gaze toward him in an attempt to snap him from his haze. Daxter was right: Jak was definitely feverish. He thought the answer to his next question was obvious, but he still felt it necessary to ask, "Jak, how are you feeling?"

"Cold."

It was a simple, quiet statement… but the way it was said was alarming. There was no resistance, no eager need to pretend he was fine. It was hollow, and dry… Samos slowly began channeling his Green Eco, weary of Jak's warning that it was becoming more difficult to handle. Jak's muscles stiffened, and the Sage held his breath and eased up on the flow of energy.

Samos gave a thankful sigh of relief when Jak finally seemed to relax slightly. He made another attempt to keep the youth's attention, "It _is_ quite cold here. Though, that's hardly shocking I suppose, considering where we are."

"No..." Jak mumbled through his sharpened teeth.

Samos cocked his head a bit and narrowed his eyes, "No? No, what?"

Jak almost looked confused, as if he didn't understand the Sage's question. After a few seconds he shook his head and gave a small, quiet snort, "No... I'm cold... I don't get cold."

This only set to baffle the Sage further, who turned an inquisitive look at the small, furry ottsel who was stationed beside him.

Daxter looked just as confused, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head, "I don't know..." He turned back to Jak, lightly placing a hand on his friend's knee, "What do ya mean, pal?"

The tainted youth blinked a few times, pursing his lips slightly as he tried to gain further control over his foggy senses. It looked as though whatever the Sage was doing was helping, at least somewhat anyway, "Ever since the Dark Eco... I don't remember feeling cold..."

Samos cocked one eye, once again looking toward Daxter for answers. The ottsel made an exasperated face and stated, "He never told me that before."

The Sage sighed, and decided it would be another troubling bit of information about the boy he'd just have to look into later. He carefully continued to conduct the Green Eco in a way that would both ease Jak's feverish symptoms, and allow him to scan his health and internal Eco levels. Even though he needed to concentrate, he still wanted Jak awake and talking, so he attempted another conversation, "Do you remember the last time you were in these mountains? I sent you boys up here, and you put up such a fuss. You insisted you'd be just fine without boots."

Another look of confusion warped Jak's features for several moments before it melted away into a delicate, half hidden smile. His eyes drooped lazily, and he took a deep breath, but didn't speak. He almost looked as though he was about to loose consciousness again.

Samos frowned, but continued on, "Even when you came sulking back, half frozen, you wouldn't admit that you were wrong. You just gave me that _look_..."

Jak tilted his head back, inky, half lidded eyes settling on the Sage. A small, sheepish tug of a smirk pulled at the corner of his lips, and despite his twisted appearance and obvious exhastion, there was a mask of boyish amusement pulling at his brow. The expression was entirely and unbelievably descriptive... It was playfully and warmly saying without words, '_Just don't say I told you so.'_

Samos almost bit his own tongue. He felt his channeling begin to slip as his heat skipped a beat, and he fumbled clumsily to regain control of both his Green Eco and emotions. His breath hitched, and he stared, bewildered for a few seconds before clearing his throat to hide the crack in his voice, "Yes. Yes, _that_ look."

It tugged at Samos's heartstrings as Jak's smirk vanished, his gaze once again falling away to stare blankly off into the distance. It had been _so_ very long since his charge had looked at him that way, he had resigned himself to believing he would never see it again. It was familiar, and loving... and it lacked the dismissive indifference or disdain that had seemed to become so correspondent with the Sage. There was no malice. There was no anger, or regret. It was simply... Jak. The old Jak, hidden beneath a veil created by the Dark Eco inside. The one who loved and respected the Sage like a father.

Samos never realized just how much he missed that look.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, only to be interrupted when a small groan escaped from the unconscious wastlander at Jak's side.

Damas brought one hand to his throbbing forehead, eyes still tightly shut. He could hear a few, jumbled voices peak up in the background, but his mind seemed to be stuck in a hazy fog that wouldn't dissipate. He couldn't quite remember what had happened, and certainly didn't know where he was. His warrior instincts began to kick and and he tried to roll to his side, only to feel the soft brush of fur as a tiny, delicate hand gripped his forearm.

"Whoa there king-sandypants! Maybe you should take a chill-pill for sec."

The voice wasn't loud by any means, but the sharp, nasally quip instantly struck a cord of recognition in the wastelander's mind. His body eased slightly, and he dragged his hand down to his eyes, rubbing them with a thumb and forefinger before muttering, "Daxter?"

"The one and only!" There ottsel replied smugly, "Glad to see your still kickin', pops."

Damas gave a gruff grunt before realizing that there was a hint of sadness layered thickly behind the ottsel's usual sarcastic tone. Then his memory of the events leading to his current situation caught up with him, and the wastelander suddenly found himself wide awake and in a dull, but consistent amount of pain. He shot up into a sitting position, which his body very much did not appreciate, the ottsel at his side tumbling away with a small yelp.

"Shiii... ouch! Fire hot!"

Damas's sight was blurry, but he still managed to snap his attention to Daxter, who was now shoving himself to his feet and brushing off the tip of his tail, "Where is Mar?"

Daxter raised a brow, eyeing the wastlander with an unsatisfied glare. Whatever rude comment he was about to mutter was interrupted by someone clearing his throat behind them, and Damas found himself turning toward the voice.

Samos had been the one to gain the wastelander's attention. The Sage was standing just beside the slumped youth in question, one old weathered palm placed firmly against the Jak's forehead. The other was supporting the boy at his back, keeping him upright against the strange, conveyor belt machine behind him.

Jak looked like death warmed over, and had yet to acknowledge the wastlander.

Damas hastily shoved the makeshift blanket away, then attempted to shuffle toward the Sage and his son. Unfortunately, his joints were stiff and cold, and he found himself stumbling. He gave an unintentional groan, and cursed when he had to fight back the urge to vomit. His eyes clenched shut and head hung low.

There was a weak snicker, and Damas once again forced his gaze upward. Jak had finally seemed to notice him, and had settled his dark, glossy stare to meet his own. A sarcastic non-smile curled his lips and displayed his sharpened teeth as he spoke, "It's no fun, is it?"

Damas narrowed his gaze and once again made to move, finding a bit more success this time. He growled his reply, "What?"

"I told you... I told you it was just as bad..." Jak still hadn't moved from his position, barely registering that the Sage was still present.

Samos frowned, and pushed his healing a bit harder. It appeared as though Jak's current cognizance only allowed for him to be focused on one person at a time, and only briefly before his mind gave up. Though it did appear to be helping, the youth wasn't reacting as quickly to the Green Eco as the Sage would have liked, and he didn't appreciate the strange way Jak's Eco was acting either... it surged and rippled just beneath the surface, pushing back against any gains he was making. He wondered how, if at all, Jak was managing to keep it under control in his current half conscious state.

Damas suddenly seemed to realize what Jak was referring to, and his eyes shot up and over to search for the others, "Did it work?"

He found himself aware of the fact that Sig and Torn were both staring quietly, keeping watch some distance away. His fellow wastelander gave a brief, discrete nod and cocked his head in the direction of the sleeping red-head near the fire. Damas's eyes settled on her and he gave a sigh of relief, then looked back up toward the door. Torn mouthed a silent '_thank you_' before turning his attention back toward his partner and whispering something inaudible.

"Stupid..." Jak muttered, and Damas's attention was brought back to the present situation. He was about to defend himself when he noticed just how heavily the boy was leaning into the Sage's palm. Each breath taken seemed like a chore, and Jak was subconsciously scratching at the stone beneath him with his sharp nails.

Samos met his eyes instead, and shared a startling look of concern. Damas felt like his insides constricted, once again struggling against the need to be sick for an entirely different reason. He wondered what had happened to his son while they were separated, but knew now was not the time to ask.

Jak only continued to prod however, "Look at your hands..."

Damas complied, and gawked at the thin, fresh, lightning-like pattern of scars that rippled across the surface of his skin, starting at the tips of his fingers and traveling up his arm to end just below his elbows. He curiously stroked them, noticing the numb, tingling sensation that erupted from the touch... it actually sent a wave of nausea through his body.

"The Light Eco coulda killed you..." Jak clenched his teeth, "...Coulda killed Ash..."

At this point Daxter had found his way over and climbed across his best friend's legs to the side opposite the Sage, "How about we drop it for now?" He stretched, arms extended above his head as he scratched at the fur near his elbows. Even though he was speaking to Jak, his eyes were firmly focused on Damas, and his tone implied the message was meant for the wastelander as well, "You can yell at your dad later, when this is all over. I'll even hold him still so you can punch him or somethin' if you want."

Jak gave a snort, and a small, smug smirk graced his features. Even with Daxter's advice, it seemed as though he couldn't resist one final jab, "You'll feel better if you hurl..."

Daxter made a retching sound, "Oh, yuck! No one wants to see that! I've cleaned up enough of _your _messes to last a lifetime. Don't encourage _him_..." He jerked a thumb toward Damas, "...to do it too."

To the surprise of everyone Jak turned to glance amusingly over at Daxter, bringing one hand to gently shove him away. There was a brief moment of silence as the two old friends shared a look.

Samos knew Jak was saying _something_ to the ottsel, though he couldn't quite read the unspoken message himself. Daxter could, of course, and after tumbling away and jumping back to his feet he feigned annoyance, but gave a small chuckle in reply, "Always pickin' on the little guy. I see how it is."

Jak's features softened and he began to nod off, which Samos encouraged by easing up on his channeling. He had done all he could at the moment anyway, and he carefully drew his hands away to let the boy fall asleep. He quietly motioned for the cloak Damas had discarded, which the wastelander hastily retrieved and used to cover the youth.

Daxter continued to look solemnly at his friend for a few moments, his forced mirth falling away in an instant. After ensuring that Jak was completely out, his shoulders slumped and his head fell, ears pressed expressively to his skull, "I don't know what those asshole Precursors expect him to do, but he's not gonna be able to do it."

Samos rubbed his fingers and cracked his knuckles tiredly, his body drained from the abundance of channeling that he'd been doing lately. He didn't bother to return to his previous sleeping arrangement, instead he sighed and backed up a few feet to place his back against the same conveyor that Jak was using. He drew up the strength needed to float as he tucked his legs into a meditative position. If there was any positive he could say, it was at least the air around them was so saturated with raw Eco that it was conveniently easy to draw it in and replenish his own stores... though he supposed that made everything worse for the corrupted youth at his side. He let his eyes drift closed as he took a sharp breath, "The only thing we can do at this point is find out exactly what the machine does, and how to use it."

"Yeah, well," Daxter's voice trembled slightly as he carefully climbed up to lay across Jak's legs, "It won't be something quick and easy. It never is with them..." He growled deeply, the pure unfiltered hatred thickly dripping with every word he spoke, "... and they aren't going to give up their little game with him until he's dead."  
***

The majority of the group found themselves awake and preparing a short time later, opting to allow Jak to sleep as long as possible. They all continued to glance worriedly in his direction from time to time, wanting desperately to help but having no idea how. Samos had assured them that the fever had subsided substantially, and that of all the thing truly wrong with Jak, it really was the least of their concerns.

The Sage had regained a bit of his strength from meditating, and was currently using his channeling to help Damas, who was still somewhat woozy from his earlier endeavors. Quietly he instructed the wastelander in new ways to draw in and manipulate the Sage's Eco, which only served to remind him once again of when Jak was a boy, going about his own lessons.

Keira had migrated to sit at Jak's side, and was gently drawing her fingers up and down the back of his hand as he slept. She had taken the time to gather up his goggles, and snapped them up around her pack so that they were safely secure. The group was talking about moving on without waking him, and Sig had offered to carry the unconscious warrior without hesitation. She had a feeling the wastelander was still a bit embarrassed about his accusations toward Jak earlier, and was eager to prove himself.

Personally, she didn't like the idea of just picking him up and hauling him along like he was some sort of luggage. She had a sneaking suspicion that Jak wouldn't appreciate it much either... though if what her father and Daxter had told them was true, it might be what was best.

She glanced back toward the rest of the group, who were now near the doors and going through their belongings to take stock of what had and hadn't been lost. Her father was a bit closer to the fire, and was using that old, half scolding, half instructive tone with Damas as he muttered something about how recklessness must run in his family.

Keira almost giggled. In fact she would have had Jak not suddenly jerked forward, gripping tightly at his chest. He swallowed heavily, his eyes wide as he breathed, "No... No no no..."

"Jak...?" Keira placed one hand on his shoulder and cupped his cheek with the other, pulling his attention to her, "What's wrong?"

"No... You have to go... I have to go..." Jak coughed, bringing one hand to wrap tightly around her wrist. He looked as though he was stuck between wanting to just hold her, and shove her away, "Get out... get out of here..."

Alarm had sparked across the rest of the group. The majority of them had seen similar outbursts by now, and could only assume what was about to happen. Torn and Sig nodded to one another, the former hastily tearing away at their makeshift barricade against the door, and the latter gathering up their packs and slinging them over his shoulders. Vin and Ashelin both scampered up next to them in an attempt to help. They all knew they needed to get away from the twisted youth before the Dark Eco came out to play.

They didn't get a chance to escape before the earthquake began. There was a loud, thunderous crack, and the ground shifted violently and unexpectedly underneath them. Several bodies were thrown haphazardly to the floor, and shouts of shock echoed across the room as it began to crumble away underneath them.

"Shit... Ahhh..." Jak huffed, ripping himself away from the mechanic. He tumbled backwards, just as a few stray bolts of Dark Eco crackled mercilessly across his body. An agonized growl escaped his lips, and he rolled to his hands and knees, eyes clenched tightly and back arched painfully, "I... I can't... no... no no... stop..."

Keira heard the ground snap loudly beneath her feet, and felt it begin to shift from horizontal to vertical. She gasped, but acted on instinct and dove forward to latch tightly to Jak's arm as the rocks under them gave out.

They were the first ones to fall into the now widening abyss, a look of both shock and horror bleeding across Jak's features as he realized Keira was with him. Within seconds they vanished from sight.

"NO!" Daxter screeched, hopping toward the gaping hole. He felt his feet leave the ground as he was snatched forcefully by the scruff between his shoulder blades, and pulled into a crushing embrace. He squirmed a bit before turning to lash out at his captor.

Seem ignored the malicious glare and did her best to keep her footing. Unfortunately the ground broke away faster than she could move, and the two of them followed their friends into the darkness below.

Vertigo set in, and Daxter couldn't tell quite how long they fell weightlessly through the pitch black void. The air went from cold to mind-numbing, viciously ripping through his fur and forcing the breath from his lungs. He no longer struggled to free himself from the Light Eco Monk's grasp, instead he clung desperately to her cloak, claws digging in to strengthen his hold as much as possible. He felt her curl around him protectively, and heard her breathlessly gasp out some sort of prayer to the Precursors, only to have it swallowed by the rushing air around them.

He thought he might have heard a collection of shouts and screams from above... no doubt coming from his friends. He wondered if any of them managed to escape, then his thoughts shifted to the fact that they were all probably going to go splat anyway, so what did it matter?

That line of thought was broken the second they collided with what awaited them below. Bright spots danced across the back of his eyelids, and his lungs constricted in shock as he tried to take a deep breath, only to have them filled with ice cold water. He choked, his body still wrapped tightly in the Monks arms. His chest burned, and he couldn't hear anything beside the rushing, angry sound of the water around them. He didn't know what way was up, or what way was down, and he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.

So, he supposed, they weren't going to go splat. They were going to drown. Or catch hypothermia. Or both. Probably both.

Then he felt fresh air. His eyes shot open and he realized that Seem was desperately trying to keep them afloat. One hand had left his frame and was grasping eagerly at a rocky outcrop of sorts, fingers slipping and catching as the relentless waves threatened to tear them away.

She finally managed to get a grip, and weakly she flung the ottsel in her arms onto the still rumbling bank. He sputtered and heaved, coughing up a seemingly impossible amount of liquid before turning back to his savior. Dust trickled down from the ceiling as small, rippling tears began to form from the quake.

She fought weakly against the current, but was obviously loosing. Daxter scampered forward and wrapped his long, thin fingers around her wrist before croaking out, "Don't you dare let go you crazy-psychotic-face-painted-freak!"

He couldn't tell if she was glaring or not, but he didn't care. All he knew was that he was immensely relieved when another body emerged from the surface of the water nearby, struggled to the edge, and added their own strength to the endeavor. Through the near complete darkness Daxter could just barely make out familiar features.

Damas.

"You better... get your ass... up here too, pops!" Daxter grumbled.

Damas gave a gurgled grunt in reply. He had managed a fairly decent hold on the rock with one hand, his foot luckily catching on something in the wall beneath the dark, freezing water. Without giving in to his own fatigue, he wrapped one strong arm around the Monk's waist, pulling her toward his body then heaving her up so that she could drag herself free. Once she was on the bank herself, she hurriedly whipped around to help him in his attempt to draw himself up and over. He was quite a bit heavier, especially with the bit of armor he was wearing, and lost his footing due to the continuously shaking world around them.

Seem cursed, something Daxter was almost sure he'd never actually heard her do, then wrapped her fingers tightly around the lip of his shoulder plate, ignoring the stinging sensation as the mettle tore into her flesh.

Daxter heard footsteps rush over from somewhere beside them, and before he could glance up to see who it was, Ashelin had slid to her knees beside them and extended her good arm in an attempt to help. She had _somehow _managed to pull herself up from the rushing waters herself, her clothes and hair drenched and sticking to her thin, but sturdy form.

Finally Damas found himself on the bank, hacking up the water from his own lungs. He placed a hand on Ashelin's shoulder, "The others?"

"I don't kn..."

She was cut off as Sig's voice echoed through the darkness further down the river, "Hello?"

Following his call was another deafening crack as the quake seemed to pick up in intensity, and suddenly the world seemed to erupt into color. Bright, glowing wisps of light fluttered into existence, resonating with shards and crystals embedded deep into the rocks of the ground and walls surrounding them. Everyone stopped moving and looked around in shock, unsure of what had just happened.

The crystals were of a multitude of colors... yellow, blue, red and green being the most predominant, though there were a few purple and white ones as well. As wisps of the corresponding colors drifted by, snapping, crackling bolts of Eco would jump from the crystals and strike them, causing them to flash brightly before dimming and floating away. Likewise, as they approached the edges of the many tears that were forming, the Eco would once again bounce between them in a flash of brilliance.

The light slowly began to diminish as the quake began to subdue, but didn't completely fade away into the all compassing darkness that had previously engulfed their world. The strange, ghostly wisps remained even as the crystals lost their hues, doting about above them and illuminating their silhouettes in gentle, colorful shades. After several seconds everyone seemed to realize that they could see each other, and Sig's group rushed forward to meet up with Damas and the others.

The only two missing were Keira and Jak.

Samos instantly began to panic. He rushed to the waters edge and fervently scanned the banks, ignoring the stinging cold that was settling into his old, worn out bones. The others spread out and searched as well.

Several moments passed where the only sounds came from the rushing, unforgiving current of the river that had caught them, and the rumble of the ever present quake. The cave was dark once again, the only light coming from the multi-colored wisps that thankfully didn't fade.

The quiet was broken by a loud splash further down the banks, and the group took off at a run. A panicked whine echoed off the walls and floors around them, and after a few seconds that seemed to stretch on for an eternity they found the source.

Jak, or rather, Dark Jak was gripping and scratching desperately with one hand against a slightly sloped, slippery bank on the far side of the river. His other arm was frantically trying to heave a squirming, scrambling Keira up and over the lip. When she finally managed to get a grip and pull herself up, he lost his own hold and the rushing, unforgiving current pulled him under.

"JAK!" The mechanic screeched. Her breath suddenly caught as she began hacking up the water she'd inhaled in her struggle, "J...Jak..." The others could only make their own shouts and watch in horror as she shuffled on her hands and knees toward the edge, eyes scanning the dark water for any sign of the Eco infused youth.

Another splash and Dark Jak once again appeared a few yards away, claws digging and scrapping at the rock. Keira swore, and shoved herself to her feet as she rushed to his side. She reached out despite the danger his transformed state insured, and wrapped her slipping, wet fingers around the edge of one of his arm guards. He hardly seemed to notice her as he flailed and clawed at the stone in a frightful panic.

"Come on... come on..." Keira cried, using every ounce of her weight to help drag him to shore. As he finally seemed to gain some traction she slipped and fell backward, falling to her rear and releasing her hold.

He managed to shuffle up, deadly sharp nails scoring deep, jagged grooves into the rock. His back heaved as he stumbled forward and staggered to his feet, low, angry growls breaking through with each breath. One hand went to his forehead, and he swayed unsteadily.

Keira feared he might fall back into the water, and nearly panicked, "J... Jak!"

His attention snapped down to the trembling mechanic, and his lips briefly peeled back to bare his razor sharp fangs. A snarl erupted from his throat, and a few jolts of Dark Eco crackled down his arm and between his extending fingers.

She scrambled backward a bit, and motion seemed to startle the tainted youth from his rage. His eyes widened and he took a few, shaky steps back, the rumble in his throat dying to a low, frightened hum.

He tore his gaze away and staggered off, each unsteady step sending a shudder through his frame. He lost his footing multiple times against the shaking, slick ground beneath him, but managed to stay relatively upright in his seemingly erratic wanderings.

He stumbled too close to one of the tears, and the Eco that danced around the edges shot out with a loud snap against his frame. His knees buckled in pain and he fell forward, scrambling fearfully away before bringing both hands to his skull, gripping tightly near his horns. A multitude of scattered bolts of Dark Eco jumped free and dissipated across the ground below him for several seconds before finally subsiding.

When it looked as though he wouldn't lash out again, Keira gathered all the courage she had and pushed herself to her feet.

"Jak..." The mechanic gently hummed, slowly moving toward the trembling form of her tainted friend. She resisted the urge to cry; instead she forced a calm, gentle tone and blank expression. She was both terrified and greatly concerned, and the two feelings clashed against each other, making it difficult to concentrate. Still, her love and compassion won out against her fear, and she eventually found herself standing at his side, nervously trying to decide her next course of action as the others hissed and warned her to be careful from the other side of the river.

The extent of which he was curled in on himself seemed impossible... but there he was, spine bent unnaturally, arms drawn so that his body was protected from anything that might approach. His clawed hands dug at his scalp beneath what should be green-blond roots, face hidden behind ashen white locks, and propped up knees that shielded his entire front from view. She moved around to face him, and would be impressed with his flexibility if it wasn't so blatantly obvious that he was in so much pain.

No one else dared to move, and they'd all grown silent. Samos could feel the hairs on his arms stand on end as he observed his daughter across the way, nervous sweat dotting his forehead despite being soaked by the warmth lacking subterranean river. Vin's was propped up over Sig's shoulders, and his small blue dot was the only source of light beside the wisps.

The earthquake had finally faded, and the numerous scattered tears followed suit only a few nerve racking moments later. Dark Jak gave a strained growl, and visibly shuddered against the bombardment to his senses.

Daxter's breath was hitched as nearly collapsed with exhaustion. He was vaguely aware of Seems cooping him up, sopping wet fur plastered to his shivering frame and eyes focused on his two best friends. Dark Jak hadn't attacked Keira, hell, he'd evidently even saved her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't loose his fight against the Dark Eco and strike out. He could only pray that Jak would _continue_ to recognize her in his current form.

It was startling to everyone when Dark Jak suddenly let out a garbled groan turned breathless sob, falling forward to his knees as he supported himself with one hand. The other stayed buried in the hair above his temple, scraping against the dark obsidian horn that protruded from his skull. Another collection of Dark Eco bolts scattered across his back and down to the floor... but they quickly lost strength and fizzled out.

Keira was close enough to see a handful of dark drops of blood begin spotting the ground, glistening sickly as a wisp flitted by above them, and Dark Jak let out a series of Wheezy, labored gasps.

Cautiously the mechanic crouched. Her heart raced, and she swallowed dryly before quietly addressing the twisted form in front of her, "I'm here, Jak. I'm here..."

Without warning he lunged forward, and there were several shouts of alarm from across the rushing currents. She could hear the shuffling of bodies as her friends now doubtlessly rushed to the river's edge. Keira let out a small yelp of her own, and flinched her eyes closed instinctively.

Strong, but shivering calloused hands gripped roughly at her shoulders, and long black claws raked across her back slightly... but they didn't break her skin. She opened her eyes just as Dark Jak let out a hacking, wet cough. His silhouetted form shook violently as he struggled, muscles pulled taunt in his attempt to stay upright.

She could feel his restraint, and it became evident that he had no intention of hurting her. It appeared as though everyone else had realized it as well, their murmurs and muffled movements calmed. She knew — even though they were currently behind her and out of sight — that they were all on edge and watching breathlessly.

Slowly she leaned forward to her knees, bringing her hands up to help support his weight by his arms. His body gave another shake, and she felt his fingers twitch as his claws dragged against her back. A small bit of color seemed to bleed into his features, and she realized he was changing back. She tightened her own grip, and took a deep breath, "I've got you. I've got you, Jak."

She couldn't help but wince when she realized that she could _hear_ the bones and muscle beneath his skin shift and crack painfully back into place. The unnatural, organic groaning of tissue threatened to make her gag, but she bit it back and steeled herself. She let him sway into her further, careful to avoid the slowly receding horns on his head.

For a brief moment she turned to meet Daxter's gaze as best she could through the dimly lit cavern. She didn't know what she should do, and she figured he'd know best... after all, he'd dealt with this longer and better than any of them had.

It was dark, and the river was just wide enough to prevent crossing safely, but the fear and concern on his face was still evident. He instantly seemed to realize she was looking for some type of guidance, so he gave her a slight nod and wiggled to pull himself from the Monk's protective hold.

Seem suddenly registered the squirming ottsel in her arms and gently set him down. He scurried as fast as his worn and freezing body would allow, as close to the rushing waters as he dared. He calmly brought one hand to his face as he called out, "Sometimes he freaks out when he snaps out of it... if he doesn't pass out first. You just gotta make sure he doesn't book it..."

As if on cue, Jak suddenly let go of Keira's shoulders and jerked himself backward in shock. The sudden movement caused his body to slip on the damp ground beneath them, the momentum pulling them both down. Keira cursed as she lost her grip and stumbled forward, shooting one hand out to catch herself.

Jak clumsily tired to twist and shuffle away, but was dazed and uncoordinated in the attempt. It didn't help that the ground was damp and slick, and his arms gave out underneath him.

Keira did her best to catch him, but they were both too slippery for it to make much of a difference. "Shit... Jak!"

He smacked his head sharply against the rock, and let out a weak, undignified cry as he rolled to his back and brought one hand to his brow. Dark, murky eyes widened in confusion when he noticed her hovering over him, and he once again attempted to scramble backward and away, panicked breathes catching heavily in his throat.

"Dammit, Jak, it's ok! It's just me!" Keira cursed, but was determined to sooth the frantic warrior beside her, "Come on, look at me... it's ok! I'm here..."

He somehow found himself on his feet, slowly backing away in fear. It still didn't appear as if he recognized her, and he slowly shook his head from side to side, "What... What did I do... what did I do...?"

"Nothing! Nothing, Jak. You're ok. Shh..." She was about to push herself up to follow him when he slipped once again, falling back to his knees with a groan. She was instantly in front of him, her hands gently cupping his corruption lined cheeks, "Jak, look at me. Look at me."

It took several agonizing seconds before familiarity set in, and he quietly breathed, "K...Keira?"

"Yes. Yes it's me. I told you, I'm here." She firmly pulled him into an embrace, his head leaning heavily against her collar bone. She could feel his strength wither away as he slumped, insecurely gripping her waist near her hips in a feeble attempt to support himself.

"What... what hap... happened?" Jak questioned, his voice barely above a whisper. He shivered against her, "I d...don't..."

"Earthquake." Keira answered truthfully, lovingly stroking the back of his head, "The ground gave out, and you transformed..."

"What did I do?"

"You saved me, Jak. We fell into the river, and you made sure I got out..." They were speaking quietly enough that she doubted the rest of the group could hear them.

"Did I... did I hurt you...?"

She smiled and squeezed him a bit tighter, "No, Jak. I've got a couple scratches from your claws I think, from when you grabbed me, but that wasn't anything you could help. You didn't do it on purpose, and you certainly didn't _attack_ me."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"You _saved_ me Jak! Nothing to be sorry for!"

His weight shifted, and she carefully helped lower him so that he was laying in her lap. His arms wrapped around the sides of her legs, "I'm not strong enough..."

"Shhh..." She suddenly noticed that his cloak had been lost in the river, and frowned when she realized that the corruption had spread up his neck and beneath his hair. Even though it had receded off his cheeks, it was still creeping up and behind the back of his ears. A few, dark veins also peeked out from beneath his sleeve.

She curled her arms around him as best she could, and leaned over him as her eyes began to water. A frosty gasp broke from her lips as she bit back a sob, small teardrops dripping free from her cheeks and into his wet mop of hair. She couldn't bring herself to speak as the maddening truth finally settled in for her.

It wasn't Jak that wasn't strong enough... it was them. They had failed him. He'd sacrificed so much to protect them, and they couldn't even return the favor. They were helpless.

"Keira, my dear?" Samos hesitantly called across the river.

Her head snapped to attention, one hand still gently brushing through Jak's hair. She forced herself to reply calmly, doubting that they could clearly see her distressed tears, "Y...Yeah?"

"We're going to half to walk along the bank. There's an unsettling amount of Eco in the air around here, and there's a slight breeze coming from that direction," He motioned with one hand to indicate where they were headed, "We need to get dry, and we need to find a way to cross so we can reach you..." He paused for a moment, as if wondering if he should even continue. His voice wavered slightly, indicating that he was just as tired and cold as she was, "You two can't stay there... you'll freeze. Can he walk?"

"I don't thi..."

Jak interrupted her with a groan as he pushed his hands out underneath himself to stand, "I can walk..."

"Jak?" She gripped his shoulders and forced him to look her in the eye. He faltered slightly, a low flying Eco wisp highlighting the doubt he shamelessly tried to hide.

He sighed as his arms began to tremble again, and gave her a resigned, reluctant smile, "Help me up?"

Keira nodded, and pushed herself to her feet. A sharp breeze caused her to shiver involuntarily, but she ignored the cold and clumsily helped him to his feet.

Jak subconsciously brought one hand to his chest and cringed, his eyes snapping tightly shut. His Eco pulsed painfully as it warred inside him, and he inwardly struggled to bring it under control. He swayed slightly, only to be caught and supported steadily by the mechanic in front of him.

He lazily opened his eyes, and gave her as convincing a smile as he could muster, "I'll be ok..." he frowned when his voice cracked and faded, and she looked up at him skeptically, "I can... I can walk."

She exhaled loudly through her nose to indicate that she didn't quite believe him, but didn't argue. Instead, she placed one palm against his forehead, and narrowed her eyes, "You've still got a bit of a fever... but it's not as bad as it was earlier."

He gave her a confused look... he honestly didn't know what she was talking about. Before he could ask, however, she had braced herself up next to him and wrapped one of her arms under his in support. It was a bit awkward, considering she was actually taller than he was, but they managed. Slowly he brought his own arm to rest across her shoulders and let her lead.  
***

On the other side of the river the rest of the group began their own journey, and to his credit Daxter managed to remain silent for a fairly decent amount of time before curiosity finally overcame him and he blurted out, "What the hell are those stupid light things floatin' around up there?"

In all honesty, they had all been wondering the same thing, so one by one heads turned and gazes shifted between both the Monk and the Sage, awaiting some sort of answer.

Samos thought silently to himself for a moment before vocalizing, "They're certainly giving off strong pulses of Eco energy. I've never seen anything quite like them in all my years, but I've also never been this deep into the planet before..."

"So, you don't know." Daxter rolled his eyes sarcastically. The Sage huffed slightly, and stroked his beard as they walked.

Seem hesitantly extended a hand up toward one of the wisps in question — a white one, actually — and stroked the energy with her fingers. It flickered slightly and danced across her skin, with a small, warm shock. She rapidly retreated, and held her hand out in front of her as she curled and uncurled her stinging fingers, "Pure Light Eco... far more so than I've ever seen before."

Samos hummed quietly, then reached toward another of the wisps — this one green — and mimicked the Monk's own actions. His eyes widened as he felt the familiar twitch of energy, far more intense than he expected. It caught him off guard, and he found himself thankful for the fact that his body was so in tune with the substance it reacted on instinct, drawing and channeling on it's own before he took control, "H_ow peculiar..."_

Then he noticed that unless they intentionally reached out, the small glowing Eco wisps seemed to _avoid_ them, floating and darting above and around their bodies as if on invisible currents.

Every type of Eco was represented, and a thought suddenly struck the Sage. He loudly shouted across the river, "Don't let Jak touch the wisps! They're incredibly high concentrations of Eco!"

They were all surprised to hear Jak sarcastically retort, in a way that would make Daxter proud, "No, really? What the hell did you think they were?" His voice cracked, as it was carried across the river, "You honestly couldn't _tell? _I can hardly breath and It feels like my skull is cracking open..."

Samos narrowed his eyes and glared at the youth in the distance, but bit back a reply. Instead he snorted, "At least we know he's feeling more like himself."

"I can still hear you..." Jak's shaky voice called again with a hint of annoyance.

Samos sighed, throwing his hands up in the air as if he was frustrated... though in all honesty, it was somewhat a relief to hear the youth's snappish remarks. He briefly wondered if his transformation had somehow quelled his fever even further... Yet another question for later he supposed.

"Those crystals looked like the ones Jak showed us..." Ashelin suddenly stated, glancing up at Damas, "The ones in the valley."

"Eco crystals." Samos explained, "Solid shards of Eco in it's purest form..." He approached the wall as they walked, eyes settling on one, jutting cluster in particular. As a wisp passed by they could see that it had a dull green hue, though it wasn't glowing as it had earlier.

The Sage held out a palm that didn't quite touch the crystal, and closed his eyes. After a few seconds he brushed it's surface, channeling the Eco from deep within. A faint, flickering glow appeared at it's center and expanded, growing brighter before being released in a strong, tingling shock-wave that washed warmly over each of them, momentarily combating the bone chilling cold they were all trying to ignore. The light died out, and Samos cocked his head to the side, "I've never seen one act like this however. I believe it must be connected to a larger source. Hmm... The Earthquake must have done _something _to awaken them."

"Samos..." Jak interrupted, his voice sounding more desperate than it had before.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the opposite bank where the youth was standing deathly still, leaning lightly against the Keira. He had one hand drawn to his chest, eyes closed in concentration, "Do that again..."

"What? How did you feel that from all the way over _there?_" Samos was flabbergasted... he hadn't drawn on _that_ much Eco, and there was no way that little burst of energy had made it that far before dissipating. With the thick fog of Eco that had been bombarding them since they first began their descent, even Jak shouldn't have been able to single what he'd done out. It had been little more than a parlor trick, and extremely easy to do.

"I... you're right. It's connected... it's _all_ connected..." He muttered just loud enough for them to hear, "There's so much..."

"Jak...?"

"It's the mountain... I think..." He cleared his throat and opened his eyes, glancing back across the river toward the Sage, "Do it again, but don't let go... you and Seem both know how to trace it..."

Samos glanced toward the Monk and met her gaze, while the others looked on in mild confusion and curiosity. She gave a serious nod, indicating that he should continue. Even if her affinity was for Light Eco, she could still sense the raw energy from the other types if she was paying attention.

The Sage took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and mimicked his previous motions. Only this time when he felt the tug of Green Eco on his finger tips he didn't just take a bit off the top... this time he latched on and pulled.

Once again the crystal grew bright, but instead of flashing and dimming, it remained lit and active. He furrowed his brow as he concentrated, drawing the pure, unfiltered energy deep into his core. His body levitated slightly as the green, flowing streams rolled and danced around him. Then he mentally reached out, attempting to trace the power to it's very roots.

Jak inhaled sharply, "No... No way..."

It took several long moments before Samos let out a startled shout of his own, just as Seem stepped unsteadily back and gasped loudly, her crimson eyes flashing with shock and widening as she dashed hastily toward the Sage, "Let it go!"

Samos barely heard her... not that it mattered. He felt his control slip and break, and his body was flung several feet back and into the Monk as another, much more powerful shock-wave erupted from the crystal with a blinding flash.

This time the sensation was damn near overbearing to the observers, and even Vin cried out, "Ack! Power surge!"

When the light faded the group all found themselves blinking rapidly to clear their vision. Several disgruntled grunts and moans filled the air, and Samos was sitting up against Seem, who held his shoulders to support his visibly shaken form. His eyes snapped open, revealing swirling pools of glowing Green, "That's... that's imposs... impossible..." He stammered as he fought desperately to reign his powers in. Slowly but surely the light in his eyes faded, but his body still shivered uncontrollably, "By... By the Pre... Precursors..."

"Is he ok?" Sig asked, crouching down next to the Sage.

Seem slowly nodded in confirmation, "The amount of pure Eco just overwhelmed him..."

"I'm... I'm fine. It's certainly... certainly been a very long time since... since I've lost control of _my_ powers... like... like that..." Samos took a deep breath to steady his nerves, the small quakes in his body steadily subduing, "I never thought..."

He was suddenly interrupted by a shrill cry from Keira, "Jak!?"

Every set of eyes suddenly jerked to attention, settling on the two, huddled forms across the river.

Jak was on his knees, hands planted on his temples. His breathing was harsh, and even as far away as they were, the rest of the group could make out the unsteady heaving of his chest. Keira was kneeling in front of him, and had her hands on his shoulders as she stared intently into his face. He tried to gently push her back, but in his uncoordinated state it came out as more of a shove, and she fell back onto her rump with a small 'oomph.'

He gasped out a strained apology, "Gah... Sorry... Sorry! Just don't shout... give me a sec."

Daxter hastily scrambled to the river's edge and hollered, "What happened, what's going on?" Damas wasn't far behind, and the wastelander stared intently over the waters toward his son.

Jak shook his head before glancing up and across the waters, "Nothing... I'm fine. Just really dizzy..."

"What the hell?" Daxter huffed, spinning on his heel to glare at the Green Eco Sage, "What the hell did you guys do!?"

Samos shoved unsteadily to his feet and shook his head, ignoring the ottsel's questions as he slowly trudged toward the river. His eyes narrowed, and his tone suggested pure disbelief, "Jak?"

"Yeah... I know..." Jak replied, once again gripping his head with one hand, "Ugh, it's too much..."

"What do you know!?" Daxter stomped his foot, "What's too much!?"

"I think we all deserve an answer!" Damas was growing impatient as well. There was a faint ringing in his ears, do doubt caused by whatever the Sage had just done.

Samos sighed, "It's difficult to really explain..."

"How about you give it a try." Torn piped up, gaze shifting back and forth between the more practiced Eco channelers, "Just tell us what's going on so we can get out of this frozen ass cave with our toes intact."

"Samos was right..." Jak called across the river, coughing slightly as he straightened his back.

"The Eco in the crystals..." Samos began, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, "It _is_ connected to a much, much larger source." He paused, contemplating his own thoughts for a moment before continuing, "A truly gifted channeler _should_ be able to sense the flow of Eco, and if it's not contained or too far off, track it to it's source. Usually this is something like a vein, or pool. Some sources are far more pure than others, and they come in many forms and sizes."

"Like the baron's Eco mines... or the Light Eco I could sense at the temple." Jak added.

"Right. Now, Eco is essentially the life-blood of the planet. It flows through every living thing, but isn't unending. It's a finite resource. Pools evaporate, veins dry up... every day we use more and more at an alarming rate."

"Ok..." Torn sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Let's skip the '_save the planet_' lecture for right now. You obviously tracked this stuff to a source... what's the big deal?"

"That's just it..." Samos breathed, "It's not _just _a source... but that's impossible, I've had my theories for years, but never had proof..."

"It's not _a_ source..." Jak sighed loudly, shoving himself to his feet and interrupting the Sage that had clearly gone of on a tangent. He slowly approached a small, crystal spire that broke through the ground nearby. Everyone watched him curiously, as he hesitantly held out one palm, closing his eyes in concentration.

Suddenly the entire cave erupted into a spectrum of light as each nearby crystal burst with brilliant color. Even the wisps themselves seemed to flash brightly, dancing eerily through the air and casting glistening reflections across the flowing currents. Everyone held their breath in awe as the beautiful display took place.

Jak quickly stumbled back, not willing to risk connecting with the Eco any more than what was necessary to prove his point. He groaned, and nearly fell, but Keira was already by his side and gripping his arm tightly. He took several deep breathes before continuing, "It's _the_ source. It's branching out, _all_ connected... it's..." His voice lost it's strength, and he simply shook his head and leaned weakly back into the mechanic.

"It's everything." Seem finished for him, stepping forward, "The reason it's so very pure..." She once again found one of the floating, white wisps and snatched at it. It flickered, and she channeled the substance as best she could before it flashed brightly, sending a jolt through her finger tips, just as the crystals around them once again dulled to darkness, "...is because it is connected to the very heart of our world."

* * *

**Authors notes: **Ok guys, do me a favor and don't forget to review! I'm eager to know what you think, and reviews keep me super motivated! Thanks for reading, and see ya next time!


	21. Chapter 20

**Author's notes: **Hey everyone. Hopefully you've all been well, and enjoyed whatever holidays you may or may not have celebrated!

There was a bit of a hiccup, and this chapter didn't get done as quickly as I wanted due to some unfortunate basement sewage flooding caused by a winter storm. Luckily my computer and work area sit on a high desk and nothing serious was damaged. Just had to deal with some cleanup.

I also struggled immensely with this chapter. It got re-written twice, because I wasn't happy. I'm ok with it now, and I once again have to thank Oblique Strategies for correcting the numerous and no doubt annoying mistakes in this chapter!

Also, I kinda have to apologize... this chapter is _long._ Much longer than I intended, but I just couldn't find a good place to cut it.

So, on to the reviewers:

Shaveza: Daxter has pretty much become the very vocal representation of everyone's feelings on the matter at this point! And I'm glad you liked the scenery.

JayneParker: Not much of a break, but it's something right? Seem swearing just seemed like the perfect way to sum up how desperate everything has become. I'm glad you liked it. I'm also glad you found me on Tumblr!

silveremerald202: Haha, I've had those days. I'm always wary about ready a lengthy fanfiction, and have to limit myself to days I don't think I'll be busy because I know once I start, I won't stop. I'm super flattered that you're enjoying the story so far, and hope that these last couple chapters coming up live up to your expectations. Sometimes I think I'm going _too_ angsty.

Leach60: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

DesperateRemedies: I'm happy I didn't disappoint with the whole floor collapsing thing. I don't want to go too unbelievable after all. There are a few more surprises and revelations to go before the end!

Oblique Strategies: I always love it when the music I'm listening to just happens to sync up with whatever I'm reading. It always seems to add a little bit of depth to the feeling.

Guest: I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I'm flattered that you think it's the best! I'm always open to critiques, so thank you for pointing out my incorrect usage. Most of the story was written without a proof-reader, but Oblique Strategies has been kind enough to help out with some of the later chapters. Eventually I'll get around to scouring the beginning _again, _but I really am awful at finding things it seems.

Joe: Jak's been to hell and back multiple times it seems. I wonder if he'll make it back this time... :p

KillaNinjaSheep: No problem about reviewing, I understand! I'm glad you like how I wrote Damas. He's a great character that deserved more! I try my best to imagine his voice saying things as I type them... he's challenging. I actually think he's a bit softer here than he is in the game... especially considering how strict and angry he was at the beginning.

AnonymousNavi: I'm glad you seem to be enjoying things thus far. Looks like you're roughly half way through... so hopefully you see this if you choose to continue reading. Thank you!

On with the show!

CHAPTER TWENTY

* * *

"Vinnie, any luck finding them?" Tess asked quietly from the cot, head peaking up over a small, fluffy pillow toward the static, blue holographic image of her friend's once human face. She'd been out and about, helping where she could... but now she was tired and resting at the hub.

"No... uh... I'm sorry, Tess. I'm trying."

"I know you are, hun." She turned away to stare up at one of the screens in front of her, eyes scanning the information intently, despite the fact that she didn't really understand all of it. It had been so long since they had an update on the mountain team's progress... it made her uneasy. Her stomach churned, and she couldn't really tell if it was because of her anxiety, or her pregnancy. She assumed it was probably both at this point.

There had been another nasty quake. It had damaged a large section of the port, and water had flooded through some of the lower streets and into the industrial districts. The sky had corroded further, and the empty black nothingness that threatened to overtake them was almost beyond comprehension.

It just didn't make sense... the world didn't work like that! There were universes and stars and galaxies and whatever else! It shouldn't have been possible. Heck, the Precursors had even offered to take Jak out to explore the cosmos!

Not that _that_ seemed to matter. Where were the Precursors now? If their timeline was breaking apart, shouldn't they be there to fix it? Why go through all the trouble of creating something, just to let it fall apart?

But they weren't there. They hadn't heard a peep from the Gods, and that meant was that Daxter was right about them... not that she'd ever really doubted him. She'd never been the religious type.

People were terrified — rightfully so, of course — and the guard was doing all it could to keep the peace. Luckily, Ashelin's council was actually competent now; it was a group consisting of people from all walks of life. Businessmen, guard commanders, the rich, the poor... everyone was represented. It had been a long and tedious task to find interested and trustful candidates. Once they had, they'd held an election... one that the governor and the guard had fought tooth and nail to make sure was fair and uncorrupt able.

Now the council were working hard to act in her stead, and were very eager to prove themselves. It was a far cry from the situations that arose when their government was full of people like Veger. For once, she could say she was proud of her city, and how the officials in charge were stepping up to handle this particular world ending crisis. Hopefully they'd all make it through this and she could tell Ashelin that everyone involved deserved medals or something...

She sighed and rolled over. No use thinking about all that until the others were back with good news... Might as well try and get some sleep.

Vin, meanwhile, had been doing everything he could to stabilize the city Eco systems... the grid was a mess, which meant utilities and the like had become unreliable at best. He'd had a bit of a reprieve, and was now once again trying to strengthen his signals and contact the missing party.

He wasn't having much luck in that endeavor, and now he found himself deep in thought.

It was late, and it had been well over twenty-four hours since the construct was last able to connect to his spider-bot self. Earlier, when his ottsel companion had asked him how that was possible — after all, wasn't he _with_ them? — he'd taken the time to try and convey to her that, well, yes, _part _of him was with them... They just couldn't interact right now, so he didn't know what was going on. She gave him a bit of a quizzical look, but left it alone after that. He appreciated that… she hadn't reacted like most people did.

He always found it difficult to explain to others. They would always ask '_What are you?_'

He wasn't physically human. He wasn't flesh and blood. His mind didn't work the same way that it used to, though he did manage to find a way to retain his memories and emotions. He was, for all intents and purposes, data.

Sentient data… but data all the same.

So then people typically asked, '_How is that possible? _'

And he would simply answer, '_Eco_.'

Then they'd take one of two paths: either they'd get creeped out and stop asking questions… or they'd press further, and ask something along the lines of, '_Are you alive?'_ Or worse yet, '_Are you even a person anymore?'_

Vin knew that if he went into detail, explained the science, explained how it connected to the Eco… they'd never get it. He'd try anyway, but people always had a hard time believing what they didn't understand. They didn't understand the science. They didn't understand the Eco. They didn't understand him.

Even his old friends — the ones who'd known him when he was just a quirky, paranoid scaredy-cat — had given him a wide berth at first. They still didn't really get him, though at least they'd eventually come around. They were the main reason for the spider-bots... it gave them something to physically address, it gave them a body for the voice. The fact that the bots were convenient and useful for other things was just a convenient side bonus.

Only a small handful of individuals had ever just forgone the questions. A very small handful.

Two, actually.

Jak and Daxter.

The only question they'd ever _really_ asked was, '_What happened?_''

And that was different. So very, very different. That was a question that actually mattered to the construct; because it showed that they cared… they worried about him, even if they'd never openly admit to it. It was something that Vin appreciated so very much, and also prompted him to think about _them._

Why didn't they ask the same old questions?

People always gave Daxter flak for being loud and obnoxious. They thought he was an idiot… especially at first. It'd gotten better over the past few years of course — their close circle of friends and allies had come to learn that no, the ottsel wasn't quite the nitwit he led everyone on to believe. They'd come to _like_ him... hell even Torn had a soft spot for the fuzzball, to the amusement of virtually everyone. That didn't mean they understood him, however. It was strange for them to consider the fact that he used to be human, and had somehow magically been transformed into the wise-cracking, furry orange rodent they'd come to know and love.

So Vin liked to imagine that the questions would be quite similar. They'd probably ask Daxter, '_How is that possible?_'

And Daxter would probably shrug his shoulders and smugly reply with, '_Eco..._ _Duh._'

Then there was Jak. He was a whole other conundrum. Originally, Vin had just thought he was another of Torn's ill-tempered rebels… he was too big for his britches; a deviant who was too egotistical for his own good.

Until Jak saved his life, that is. More than once.

Vin quickly realized that something wasn't right with the kid. Something other than the snippy attitude and overbearing brooding. It wasn't until a bit of digging — digging Torn had asked him to do, actually — that the truth came out.

Jak had been a channeler. Which in and of itself was quite rare in this day and age… and apparently he was very gifted. That made him the prime target for the Baron's twisted vision. No one really knew where the teenager had come from, only that he had appeared, and the KG was ready and waiting.

Vin had only been able to find the most obscure pieces of information at first… small snippets and hints at what was going on behind the scenes. People disappeared in dark alleyways, never to be heard from again. The KG became even more controlling and brutal than ever. Erol was hastily promoted through the ranks despite the fact that he was better known as a racer with a murderous mean streak than a soldier. Eventually it was all linked to the horrifying truth: The Baron's Dark Eco experiments.

Torture. Torture that was supposedly justified by need; the need to stop Kor and his never ending metal-head assaults. The need to save the city.

Torture that would supposedly give birth to the perfect, living, breathing, weapon.

Jak.

The kid's body was so saturated with Dark Eco that it practically seeped from his pores. Forget the obvious question of 'how the hell was Jak even alive...?' Skip that entirely. Drive right past it without stopping. It was so far beyond that... How he had ever managed even a minute level of sanity was just unfathomable. The Dark Eco _should_ have destroyed him. It should've eaten away at him from the inside out.

It was no wonder that he sometimes lost control. No wonder that he sometimes gave in to his fear and wrath and rage. His episodes were terrifying, even to Vin, who'd never been on the receiving end... heck, never even been _close_ during any of the incidents.

Yet somehow... somehow the twisted, angry, violent, young — too young — warrior had done it. He'd managed to rein in his temper, managed to endure in his lust for revenge. If Vin's assumed time-line of events was right... Jak had even managed to stop Kor and save the city _before_ the Precursors gave him the Light Eco treatment.

That was mind numbing.

It was also why Vin, despite being _scared_ of Jak at first, respected the kid. It was why the Eco construct _liked_ him. He was tortured. Broken. Angry.

But he'd still taken the time to suit up, and blast his way through a hoard of metal-heads in the middle of a Dark Eco mine, to save one, skittish, panicking, Eco engineer. Even if it was originally just an order from Torn.

Then, he'd done it a second time.

And a third... and on his own too. Not because someone else asked him to. Not because he _had_ to. Daxter had helped with that one, of course... but that hardly diminished the sentiment.

Did all of that necessarily outweigh his darker moments? Did it excuse Jak's occasionally ruthless or abusive comments? No, not necessarily… but it did paint a fairly detailed picture on _why. _It made them understandable. At least to Vin anyway.

So...

What would Jak's answers be?

What would Jak say when people saw his transformations, when they realized that darkness literally flowed through his blood?

When they asked, '_How is that possible?'_

Vin imagined Jak would slouch, ever so slightly, with his arms crossed and grim, narrow glare masking so many unspoken emotions. He'd sigh, and reply uncomfortably, 'Eco.'

It always came back to the Eco.  
***

They had been walking for quite a while now, and the ottsel had alternated between trudging along and hitching rides depending on how tired he felt. It was becoming apparent that his small fury body wasn't handling well in the damp cold that caused them all to remain wet and shivering, though he'd be damned if he openly admitted it. No one bothered or cared to call him out, opting to just ignore his added weight on their shoulders whenever he chose to climb aboard.

The current was rushing fast enough to force a nearly constant mist into the air, which settled heavily and left a slick sheen across the rocky cavern floor. Several members of the group had paused to empty their boots and wring out their clothes, though that did very little to alleviate the discomfort.

Now they had a problem. The pathway on the less occupied side of the river had begun to narrow. Long, thin stalactites hung precariously from the darkness above; they were frosty and dripping, some merging with their neighboring stalagmites that littered the floor below. The ground had begun a somewhat steep, steady incline, sloping up and eventually jutting thinly out above the river at a daunting height before completely closing off against the equally lowering ceiling. That ledge was a dead end, too high to be of any use in crossing.

On the other side of the river the pathway began to curve away and decline, hugging tightly against the waterline. In the distance they could all vaguely hear the sound of crashing waves, indicating that the rapids were picking up even more. The gentle breeze that coaxed them along had grown stronger as well, and it held a strange, faint, sulfuric smell. Thick, timeworn metallic pillars broke through the darkness above them, possibly supporting more of the temple or mine… or whatever it was they had been occupying before the latest quake; some of which looked about ready to collapse or give out at the slightest aggravation.

The further they went, the more the inlaid crystals had begun to house a dull, deep seated glow that provided little light, but resembled small pulsing flecks like far off colorful stars. The Eco wisps had continued to flit about above them, but had grown in number, an occasional crackle of energy snapping between them and the shards.

"It's still too deep to cross with how fast it's going…" Jak sighed, crouching carefully over the edge of the bank. He couldn't quite reach the water from his current perch, but he still had one hand extended lazily toward the river, murky eyes almost seeming to glisten in the reflective lights of the wisps.

Keira stood diligently at his side, resisting the urge to snatch him away from the ledge. Instead she settled for brushing her fingers lightly against his shoulder. He seemed to have regained his strength, and hadn't needed her support as they walked for a while now, but that didn't stop her from worrying. He turned a slightly annoyed glare in her direction before catching himself, his expression quickly softening apologetically.

"Not that I'm doubting you or anything," Sig called from his place on the opposite bank, roughly thumbing his eyepiece, "But how can you tell? It's too dark, and all the Eco in this place is making this hunk o' junk useless. Ain't getting nothin' but jumbled numbers and static."

"Tell me about it. My scanners are going nuts… I uh… haven't been able to connect directly with Haven's Eco grid for a while now either. It's gonna be a pretty big shock when all the data transfers…" Vin's spider-bot shifted uneasily, his little blue light focused on nothing in particular, "At least my _body_ is holding up… I was uh, a little worried about the cold sapping the battery…"

"We've been through this! Jak can see in the dark better than a normal guy can." Daxter cut in matter-of-factly from his perch on Damas's shoulder a few feet away, "Especially if he's all doped up on Eco."

"It's not that…"Jak grumbled low enough that his voice was nearly drowned out. He dragged a palm down his face before narrowing his eyes on his best friend, "I can't see _that_ well, Dax. At least not through the water..." He paused hesitantly and cocked his head, "It's the Eco."

"What do you mean?" Keira asked curiously.

He turned to face her, pointing one hand out over the water and speaking loud enough for the others to hear, "It's all connected, remember? See the Eco crystal out there in the middle?"

She stretched her neck to look over his shoulder toward where he had indicated, "Yeah?"

"Watch," Jak took a few steps back and slowly brushed a palm against a nearby shard. A few seconds later the entire cavern pulsed brightly in a rainbow of colors. Everyone could see the stream of bright, glowing red embedded deep within the crystal he'd pointed out, trailing and disappearing into the depths of the flowing water.

He cleared his throat and explained, "It's foggy… the Eco in the air is really thick, and my head is killing me…" He brushed a few loose locks of hair from his eyes and sighed, "But I can still _feel_ it."

"Like a tree's roots or a spider's web… all weaving together and stretched throughout the world." Samos stroked his beard and grew somber, brow pulled tight. His mind had since cleared from the overwhelming surge of power, and now a sudden troubling thought struck him. He mumbled under his breath, "But how...?"

Jak nodded, not having heard the question, and took the opportunity to demonstrate again. The Sage's concern only deepened. It appeared as though the youth had found a way to do it without difficulty, or at least without straining himself… which in and of itself was puzzling, but not the real issue here.

Why and how was his health fluctuating so rapidly? One minute the boy was apt to fall over, exhausted by both the thick smog of invisible Eco in the air, and the corruption that was taking root deep within his own body. The next he was channeling competently — very competently actually — in ways that shouldn't really be possible. Even for him.

A frown began to form at the corners of the Sage's lips and he hesitantly stepped forward, "Jak, how are you doing that?"

Jak turned his gaze back toward the main group, one brow arched quizzically. He scoffed sarcastically, as if he didn't understand why the Sage would ask such a dumb question, "Uh… channeling?"

Samos sighed loudly, "Don't get smart with me! I _know_ you're channeling." He pushed his glasses further up his nose and glared, "I want to know how you're reaching out and activating more than one crystal cluster at a time. Each one is filled with a different type of Eco."

Jak only continued to stare, crossing his arms across his chest, "Samos… I've always been able to channel them all."

"Sheesh, I think you're memory's startin' to go, old man!" Daxter rolled his eyes and leaned forward on Damas's shoulder to chide the Sage, "You're the one that taught him how to do it!"

"Yes. I understand that." Samos hissed through clenched teeth. He chose to ignore the ottsel's jab, "_But not at the same time!"_

A brief flash of shocked realization graced Jak's features before melting into something far more subdued, "I didn't even think..." He turned a scrutinizing gaze down on his own hands before slowly shifting his weight uncomfortably, "Oh..."

The Sage crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for an answer, while the rest of the group simply shared confused glances with one another... at least everyone except Seem, who had apparently realized what Samos was getting at. She took a deep breath and raised her crimson eyes to stare incredulously toward the young warrior.

"We are of the house of Mar…" Damas stepped forward curiously after a small stretch of awkward silence. "Our bloodline has _always_ been able to channel all four of the basic types..."

"Yes, yes." Samos interrupted, turning his head to look up toward the approaching wastelander. The faint spark of an idea struck him… and the gears in his head began turning, forming a theory. He considered everything they'd already learned. Damas _would_ be the perfect subject to compare to Jak… "I'm not disputing that. Here, come here… I want to show you something." He waved with one hand and led the wastelander toward a small, dark crystal that had broken through a nearby mound of stone, "This one is made of Green Eco, which I know you are perfectly capable of channeling. I want you to do so now."

"Are you insane!?" Jak's head snapped up and a near silent growl rumbled from his throat. Keira fidgeted uneasily at his side, and slowly wrapped one of her slender arms around his, hoping the physical contact might calm him.

The Sage simply cut him off with a sharp wave and continued on, "This is going to be far more power than you've ever dealt with before, so you _must_ listen carefully..."

Damas looked first to his son, who was practically seething, then down on the Sage, giving a slight, curt nod.

"I'm just going to teach you how to trace Eco, and I am _not_ going to let you do it alone." Samos assured deceptively, sending a quick, knowing look toward his charge. Though still incredibly tense, Jak did seem to deflate slightly, eyes still shifting nervously between the man who raised him, and his other-world biological father. The Sage couldn't help a minor jab as he turned back and continued, "Let's see how well you stack up against your son, shall we?"

A small smirk tugged at the corner of the wastelander's lips before being wiped away by a cocky, deliberately loud snort from across the river. He thought he heard Jak mutter _something_ snippy, but the words were lost to the rushing echo of the water. He crossed his arms and scratched at his chin, "What do I need to do?"

"Is this all necessary right now?" Torn suddenly interrupted, "Not all of us are in the mood for one of your 'magical bullshit' lessons right now. Frankly, I'm more interested in finding a way to get them..." He jutted his thumb toward his two stranded comrades, "Over here, so we can move on and find some place to dry off."

Samos turned a glare toward the soldier, and scolded, "This could very well be essential to our mission, actually. Or have you forgotten _why_ we're all here in the first place?" He failed to mention that it was also another piece to the increasingly difficult puzzle that Jak was very quickly becoming. Anything he could learn might actually give the Sage a way to help the youth, or at least figure out exactly what was going on inside his slowly deteriorating body. Though, part of him had to admit there was a strong sense of curiosity driving his current motives as well.

What _exactly_ was the corruption? How had Jak's abilities only managed to increase, despite practically being a dead man walking? Did the Precursor give him some new skill that allowed him to break every known rule of channeling? Was it necessary for the mysterious machine buried somewhere in the mountain? Or was it something else? Was it simply a dormant power that was only now beginning to surface? Was this the true legacy of the Mar bloodline?

There were just so many questions that needed to be answered. If Samos could just test out a few, minor suspicions... Damas and the boy were biologically related, after all, and with their most recent discovery with the crystals, the opportunity was there. If everything worked out, and Damas showed the same promise as his son... he might just be able to start fixing this mess. Sure, it might be a tad dangerous; especially for the wastelander… he'd just have to be careful, is all.

He'd constructed a lifetime of theories, born of dedicated research and trial and error. This might be the only chance he had to prove them... and of course, he wanted to apply them in some way to save Jak.

So yes, it _was_ necessary.

Though... he was sure the youth wouldn't see it that way once he figured out just what Samos had in mind — and he most definitely would — the boy was smart, and had a natural affinity for all things Eco. Admittedly, he was thankful for the river, and the distance it put between them.

Torn only rolled his eyes in reply, but the sag of his shoulders and change in posture indicated that they should just continue and get whatever they were doing over with. The Sage rolled his eyes and held out one palm toward the wastelander beside him, "Give me your hand."

Damas raised one hairless brow, but did as he was told. Samos gripped it loosely and slowly moved them both closer to the crystal before instructing, "I'm going to start by pulling at the Eco, and directing it to you. I want you to channel it through your body _slowly_. I can't stress enough on how much power lies just beyond your fingers at this very moment, and if you are too eager it will be _harder_ for me to manage it, do you understand?"

The king nodded, and the Sage gave a small hum of approval, "Good. Good. Close your eyes, and remember to breathe."

Damas let his eyes drift shut and gave one curt nod to show he was ready.

At first there was nothing, then, slowly but surely, he began to feel the strange tickle of power. It began as something minor — a lazy, warm tingle of energy — but quickly grew into something so much more. He'd never felt Green Eco quite like this before — it was familiar of course — but raw and unfiltered. It traveled through his arm at an alarming rate, and he caught his breath as it plowed into him like an ocean wave.

He felt Samos's grip tighten, and the Sage calmly demanded, "No. Don't do that... Breathe. Don't let it frighten you... you need to take control of it. Channel it just like you would any other time. I won't let it overwhelm you, but you _must_ take control_. _We're going to do this slowly, until you get your bearings. This is something that isn't inherently difficult — with practice that is. Which I know you don't have."

Jak couldn't help but stare nervously from the other side of the river, fingers curling and uncurling in anticipation. His jaw was set stiffly, and Keira could have sworn she heard him grind his teeth. She quietly leaned toward his ear and whispered, "What's wrong? My dad won't let anything bad happen..."

Her voice gave him a start, and flushed slightly before hastily recovering. He nearly swallowed his tongue as he resisted the urge to laugh and tell her that 'Samos let bad things happen all the time,' instead replying through clenched teeth, "I... I know. It's hard to explain, Keira... there's so much power there." He shook his head slowly and took a deep breath, "More than Damas can handle. Hell, way more than any of us can handle. If they slip up..."

"But it's just Green Eco, right? Daddy just said it was easy."

"You really can't think of it like that. There's no such thing as _just Eco... _It doesn't matter what kind it is. If it's channeled sloppily or wrong, it can be a disaster." Jak explained, rolling one hand expressively, eyes still focused straight ahead, "If it were just a little, I wouldn't be worried. Damas can channel a lot better than he thinks he can." He paused, and closed his eyes, "Green Eco is the least dangerous, and yeah, it's easier compared to the others... but when there's _this_ much? What Samos is trying to do _is_ easy — once you know what you're doing, and if you have the talent for it — but it still comes back to just how much power is there. You saw what happened to your dad when he got cocky with it, and he's a _Sage._"

"You've done it a couple times now without making it a big deal..." She laced her fingers through his, and the worry in her voice caught Jak off guard. She seemed to mull it over in her mind before asking, "What was my dad saying earlier... about you?"

He glanced back at her with half lidded eyes before giving her an appreciative almost-smile, "I've had a lot of practice Keira... but even then I shouldn't have..." His voice trailed off, but that didn't stop her from reading the confusion in his features. After a few seconds he shook his head, "I'm sure he'll explain better than I can. You know your dad, he'll make sure his point is made." With that, his eyes fluttered closed and he cocked his head back toward the events across the river.

He felt her tense slightly as she leaned into him, as if he was about to up and vanish right in front of her, "What are you doing, Jak?"

He exhaled slowly and replied, "Trying to concentrate on what they're doing. There's a lot of Eco in the air here, and I bet even you can feel it weighing down on you. It's making it hard to focus..."

"There!" Samos's sudden cry drew the mechanic's attention away from Jak and back toward the main group.

The Sage had moved his hand to grip Damas's wrist, a faint green glow emanating from his skin, "Now I'm going to let more through, so be ready. Imagine yourself grabbing a hold of that power like a rope, and pull. Do not let it break."

Damas nodded and licked his drying lips. He felt like he was back in the desert, under the glaring, unforgiving sun... only the heat was coming from deep within his very core. He'd never experienced Green Eco to be this intense, and it was beginning to dawn on him that he really had no idea what he was doing. His control faltered, only to result in the Sage roughly tugging his wrist forward and scolding, "No. Stop doubting yourself. Don't you dare drop it now. I'll be the one who gets the backlash!"

Samos gave a sigh of relief when he felt the wastelander steady himself and focus, "Yes. There you go..." He couldn't help but chuckle out loud, "It's uncanny how similar you two are in the way you channel. You've got a hold of the power now. Reach out and draw it in, drag your mind along its path... you should be able to sense it now. You should be able to _see_ it. Do you see how it stretches out in front of you?"

Damas hesitated before nodding meekly, and Samos gave a grunt of approval before continuing, "Good. Now _quickly_ push the energy back along that path. If you feel it fork and split, try to focus on each branch equally." He paused, and lowered his voice, "Be prepared for a bit of a shock, because I won't be able to help you if you come across another type of Eco. Just keep pushing."

Jak shook his head and shot his eyes open before growling, "Shit...I knew it. I knew he'd... Dammit, Samos!"

"What?" Keira inquired, "What's wrong?"

"He's not just teaching him how to trace — argh, stupid. He's being stupid — he's pushing to see if Damas can do what I did earlier." Jak hissed, "Even if he could, he's never channeled like this before! He's gonna burn himself out! ARGH... Damas, stop!"

Everyone _but_ Damas and the Sage were startled by Jak's sudden outburst, and found themselves tearing their gazes away from the channeling duo toward the now incredibly irate youth in the distance. When Sig began to realize something was wrong, he made to move toward his fellow wastelander and extended a hand to grab his shoulder.

"No! Stop!" Jak barked, "He's too focused on his channeling! He probably can't even hear you right now! Don't _touch_ him!"

Thankfully, Daxter had noticed the desperation to Jak's voice and hastily scurried up to Sig's shoulder. He grabbed hold of the wastelander's ear roughly and gave a sharp tug, practically steering him away, "Whoa now, hold up big guy."

"Samos, stop!" Jak spat loudly, and yanked his arm from Keira's grasp. Rage was clouding his vision, but he fought to suppress it as best he could. He needed to help Damas... and he only had one idea on how.

He knew what he was about to try was really, really stupid, especially in his current state of well-being, but his better judgment was quickly fading and giving way to a violent tidal wave of despair. The mental walls he'd built up over the last few years were crumbling, and for once... he wanted to give in. He was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of saving the world. But most of all, he was tired of being _used. _He wasn't about to let it happen to someone else... especially Damas.

Jak grit his teeth. If this worked, Samos wouldn't know what hit him. But first, he'd need a better anchor, and a more powerful source to begin channeling from. He spared one quick glance toward Keira and demanded, "Stay. Back." She looked upset by his scathing tone, but Jak really didn't have the time to deal with the pang of guilt from hurting her feelings. He'd just have to apologize later.

He scrambled to a different nearby crystal, this one much lighter and larger than the one he was previously channeling through, and instead of hovering his hand away from its surface he planted both palms heavily. His eyelids closed and he grunted in anticipation. He didn't bother to actually consider what he was doing, letting his gut instincts take over. Corruption or not, angry or not, he _was_ going to access and use his Light Eco. He dismissed the growing ache in his chest, instead focusing on the familiar, soothing tug of power that was quickly surging to the surface.

"Samos, you have to stop this!" Jak gave the Sage one last chance to back down, only to be promptly ignored. The youth sighed... if the Sage wanted to play games with other people's lives, then he'd have to deal with Jak instead. "I know you can hear me, you bastard! You want to see how it's all connected, right? You want to know just what I can do? FINE THEN. Let's see how well YOU stack up against me!"

Jak forced his own Light Eco through the shard and into the twisted, churning vastness beyond.

Samos's eyes suddenly went wide, bright green smoke flowing across the surfaces, "Jak, what do you think you're doing? Stop this! You'll only make yourself worse!" He narrowed his gaze and let go of the wastelander's wrist to better control his own channeling. The fact that Jak was so efficiently able to shift through the conflicting masses of Eco and lash out through the channels at the Sage was astonishing… and VERY aggravating. There was no way he was going to let the boy interfere at this point; he needed to see if his theory was correct, he needed to prove he was right. If he let Jak continue on this path, he'd never be able to save him. The Sage let his own power swell up as he prepared a counter push...

"Tch. Typical. I don't think so." Jak growled as he bit his lower lip in concentration. He either didn't notice, or just didn't care that his sharpened teeth drew blood. The rage from his Dark Eco swarmed to the surface, and he once again found himself juggling the two opposing forces as they battled for dominance.

There was a bright flash of blinding white light from the crystal beneath his grip. The other shards in the cavern pulsed briefly before fading out. Jak sneered, and let loose another, violent surge of power, "I'm cutting you off."

Samos let out a shrill cry as he was struck by the unyielding wave of energy, knocked clean off his feet and thrown violently against the nearest wall. The Green Eco around him hissed and fizzled, and his eyes were sealed shut as he let out a weak, pain filled moan. Blood slowly began to seep from his nose, and one hand moved to wipe it away despite his dazed stupor. His body's natural healing wasn't able to kick in right away, shorted out by the sudden influx of power.

Damas suddenly let out a gasp and staggered back to his knees, eyes snapping open to reveal glowing green. Now that the Sage's expert channeling had been removed, he was left vulnerable to a vast amount of power that he definitely didn't know how to handle. It was a bizarre mix of sensations... Green Eco felt smooth, and calming, but it was drowning him; drawing him in a tight, endless embrace, and holding him under without reprieve. He'd never before felt so much... _life._

Jak clung desperately to the Light Eco crystal beneath his fingertips, sharpened nails digging into the surface and leaving small scratches. His eyes were still tightly shut, and sweat slowly dripped down the side of his face. He fought back another nauseous push of Dark Eco from within, shaking his head as he took a deep breath, "I've got it... let it go... Damas let it go... _come on_!" He coughed, muscles trembling with power. When the wastelander failed to comply, Jak took a deep breath and held it, "Shit... Ok... ok, _fine. _We'll do it _this_ way."

Jak exhaled shakily, slowly shifting his focus to redirect the underground energy currents, effectively cutting off Damas's access to the Eco. His eyes drifted open, revealing deep, pure white. Impulse took over as he drew in a substantial amount of Eco before turning some of it back and sending a pulse through the pathways.

Damas suddenly felt the power that had been coursing through him break forcefully away, just as the glowing green crystal in front of him pulsed one last time. The glassy surface splintered, sending a deafening, resounding crack throughout the cavern.

He fell forward on his hands, taking deep, haggard breaths. Time seemed to move at a snail's pace, and he barely noticed the pair of hands that gripped his arm tightly in support. He certainly couldn't tell you who they belonged to at any rate, his vision and hearing both refusing to work properly.

Jak tripped over himself as he backed away from his own crystal, a low groan escaping his lips. One hand shot up to his forehead as small trails of Light Eco continued to drift and dance around him. He felt himself slipping away... something was wrong. All wrong.

Terror washed over him... though it wasn't because he was losing control. He'd actually come to expect that.

It was because it wasn't his Dark Eco that was wrenching his senses from him.

He jerked forward, let out a sharp gasp. With a bright flash his body erupted into his Light Eco form.

Keira took several steps back and covered her mouth with one hand as a breath stopped in her throat. She couldn't keep herself from gawking.

Light Jak seemed utterly confused, and he stumbled slightly before gaining his balance and taking in his surroundings. He glanced down at his own hands, a faint look of disbelief darting across his features. The ethereal tendrils that sprouted from his back hung slightly limp, but still pulled and tugged through the air independently. Swirling pools of glowing white shifted up and scanned through the darkness, sliding between the various forms of the people standing across the river before settling very still on the Sage who was currently struggling to push to his feet with help from Seem.

Light Jak only stared for several seconds before his brow scrunched slightly, anger slowly creeping across his normally non-expressive face. He hastily turned toward Keira and darted forward.

Before she could utter a word, he'd grabbed her gently but firmly around her waist. Out of instinct more than anything she found herself wrapping her arms around his shoulders, still in shock by his current appearance. She'd heard about Light Jak before, of course...

But she'd never seen him, let alone touched him. His skin felt hot — no, cold — no... What in the world was she feeling? There was a slight sizzle in the air around him, radiant energy flowing and fading out, only to spark up again unexpectedly... it caused the hair on her arms to stand on end. But something was off... something told her she should have felt calm and serene in his presence. At least that's what everyone else had said they had felt. She could sense something wrong beneath the surface, all angry and hollow. She realized that the small horns and sharpened nails hadn't disappeared... and she could just barely make out the corrupted Eco veins beneath the surface of his glowing bluish-white skin.

The world around them seemed to blur and for a moment her eyes saw nothing but rushing blue. Then, just as suddenly, the mechanic found herself and Light Jak standing on the edge of the steep overhang they'd been approaching earlier, staring dizzily down toward the rushing, crashing water below.

She let out a terrified whine and strengthened her hold. She was vaguely aware of Light Jak's hand wrapping even tighter around her waist and pulling her closer before he used his free arm to effortlessly sweep her up. Her eyes searched eagerly to meet his, silently begging him not to jump.

Nothing in his expression or posture gave any indication that he noticed her plight, his eerie, blank stare only considering her briefly. She felt his muscles tighten under her fingertips, and his wings gave a few tentative test flaps. Without hesitating, he bent his knees and vaulted into the air.

Keira couldn't help but give out a startled, airy yelp that died into a pathetic whimper the first time Light Jak caught the air under his wings. She buried her face against his chest and closed her eyes, the lurching mix of slow falling and upward heaves making her dizzy.

It took several, excruciatingly long seconds before she felt him land roughly, his grip lessening to set her on her feet. She cracked open one eye to confirm they were on solid ground before hastily backing away from him. For some unexplainable reason, she was actually more terrified of him like this than when he was in his Dark form.

His wide, unreadable eyes only lingered on her for a fraction of a second longer before he slowly turned away, slightly hunched and searching. Everyone stood deathly still as he all but ignored them, attention focused solely on one particular individual.

Daxter didn't even have time to shout at his friend before Light Jak darted forward, roughly gripping the Monk at Samos's side by the shoulder and shoving her away without an ounce of care. She gave a startled, uncharacteristic yelp as she stumbled and fell to her backside, eyes wide in shock.

"Whoa! Hey!" Daxter's voice was only one of many that began to protest, but a numbing shock-wave of power from the transformed youth momentarily silenced them all.

Without skipping a beat Jak had crouched, grabbed the Sage by the front of the shirt, and hoisted him up. He shoved the potbellied, disoriented, old man against the wall, and bared his still sharpened teeth. Pure white eyes flared with untamed Light Eco, and with each passing second the corruption slowly crept up the side of his face and pulsed in dark contrast to his blinding radiance.

"Jak! What the hell!" Daxter recovered and confronted his friend before any of the others regained enough of their senses to intervene. Within seconds he was on Jak's shoulder, tugging at the youth's hair with one hand and digging into the skin at his collar bone with the other, "Let him go before you do something you're gonna regret!"

Light Jak refused to acknowledge the ottsel. His only reply was to push the Sage even harder against the wall, which served to elicit a feeble cry from the old man.

Torn was the next to react, and despite telling himself that he was probably going to regret it, he reached out and grabbed Light Jak's bicep in a tight, demanding grip, "Let him go!"

He certainly did end up regretting it. In one fluid motion Light Jak complied, unceremoniously letting the Sage fall to a crumpled heap on the cavern floor, and spinning on his heel to deliver a powerful, unrestrained punch straight at the lean commander's face. There was an alarming crack, and Torn was thrown backward. He tripped over Seem, and tumbled to the ground, breath knocked from his lungs. Pain erupted and spread like wild fire up the side of his face, and one hand shot up to cup his now shattered jaw, "Thon' of a Bith!"

"Jak!" Daxter was panicking now, scratching and pulling anything he could get a grip on. He could see dark, purplish swirls of Eco dancing across Light Jak's eyes, and the corruption was weaving its way up near his left eye socket and ear. The others were all shouting and approaching, and whatever was going on with his friend was only worsening with each breath. The ottsel could feel Light Jak's heightened pulse; the rolling waves of Eco stung his eyes and left a dry, coppery taste in his mouth.

It was bizarre... It seemed as though Jak had all the controlled power and precision that was normal for his Light Eco form, but his rage fueled actions and emotions were straight out of Darkie's book. Even the faint scent only the ottsel would ever be aware of was off, an unpleasant mix of the two.

As if to prove Daxter's point, Light Jak effortlessly engulfed himself and the Sage in a flickering shield before narrowing his eyes to slits and once again snatching up his prey. Anger and hatred set his jaw rigid, and he exhaled loudly. The dark, gnarly veins began to climb across the tendrils of his wings, and a few smoldering jolts of Dark Eco crackled across his back.

Daxter did the only thing he could think of. He coiled and sprung like a spring, navigating the length of Light Jak's arm in a fraction of a second. Without hesitating he buried his claws into the skin around the cold, slick arm guards and dug his sharp little ottsel teeth as deep as they would puncture into his best friend's glowing wrist and hand.

Light Jak gasped, an agitated near-growl escaping his lips. He dropped the Sage like a stone and stumbled back, giving his arm a frantic shake in a desperate attempt to dislodge his furry attacker. Daxter tightened his grip and suppressed the urge to vomit, his friend's Eco infused blood burning the inside of his mouth and staining the fur around his chin.

Small bolts of Dark Eco crackled around him, but he refused to let go. He could feel the tingling pulses of energy as the others pounded against the shield, and he heard their muffled cries. His eyes went momentarily wide, then snapped tightly shut when he saw his friend swing his free arm around, preparing to strike out against the ottsel.

The blow never came. The motion stopped. After a few, tense seconds Daxter was brave enough to open his eyes. Light Jak — or whatever he was now — was staring down at him in stunned silence, inky dark swirls in his eyes burning away to the harsh light from beneath. His sharpened nails were inches from the ottsel's back, trembling slightly. Each breath he took was short and quick, a low wheeze bubbling to the surface.

Light Jak fell forward to his knees, eyes focused only on Daxter for several, long seconds before trailing over to Samos's sluggishly moving, half erect form. Recognition bled across his features, followed by a sense of horrifying dread. He carefully used his superior strength to pry the ottsel free, and shove him away... not to hurt him, but in pure terror.

He was instantly on his feet and backing away. He brought both hands up to his temples and let loose another, much weaker shock-wave that was clearly meant to put some distance between him and the others.

His shield eroded away and he staggered hastily off in a somewhat muddled trance before reaching out and collapsing against a large, smooth rock. He slid to his knees and fell forward, catching himself with one hand while the other shot up to cradle his chest. The Light Eco faded away, leaving the slowly retreating corruption in its wake.

Jak panted loudly, and clenched his eyes shut. His senses were so overwhelmed that his brain felt like mush, and he was only vaguely aware of a few, cautiously approaching footsteps. Voices pricked at his ears, some angry and some concerned, but he couldn't make out the words. He could scarcely focus on anything beside his own erratic heartbeat and the warring Eco forces deep within. He'd managed to snap out of it on his own, so there was still a vast amount of power just hovering at the surface, eager to be used.

Something snapped inside, and he began hacking, shifting the hand from his chest to cover his mouth. Blood seeped through his fingers, dripping in dark, splotchy blots against the floor. Despite the crushing pain, his mind started to focus, memories of his transformation suddenly blinking into existence. He snapped his eyes shut and groaned, his coughs slowly transitioning to a dry heave.

He was startled by the appearance of a shadow above him and the furiously tight grip at the back of his collar as he was yanked backward and up like an abused crocadog. A breathless gasp broke through his lips, and his vision went dizzy from the sudden movement.

Torn's face met his, tattooed brow scrunched and scowling. The skin was swelling, and there was a darkening blue bruise spreading from chin to eye socket, a small spot of blood settled in the corner of his mouth. He shoved Jak against the stone and hissed, "Fuggin' bwoke my daw."

Torn was forcefully removed when Sig intervened, shoving the commander back and placing his bulky form between the two. He used one large hand to support and constrain Jak against the rock, the other outstretched in a threat telling everyone to back the hell off and keep their distance. Torn prowled back and forth, practically boring holes through the desert King as he glared at the youth propped up behind him, "Wuht dah heww wav fat?"

"You." Sig pointed one calloused finger at Torn, tone sharp and demanding, "Stop talking." He turned to face the sagging youth in his grip and winced. Jak had blood dribbling down his chin from the corner of his mouth, and though the corruption had receded, it nestled just under his jawline and wrapped up around the back of his ears and skull. He had reverted to his altered, pale state; horns peaked through his locks of hair and sharp teeth parted as he gasped and gulped for air. His foggy eyes were wide with fear to such a degree that Sig was sure he'd never seen on the youth's face, transformed or not, and he didn't bother to struggle against the wastelander's grip in the least, "Jak?"

No reply came, and Sig carefully released a bit of pressure. He could practically feel the rumble in the kid's chest with each breath, unsupported weight shifting against his palm. But he was startled to realize that there was still a massive amount of hot energy rolling off him in waves. Evidently, Jak wasn't all burnt out yet.

Sig tensed, and steeled his resolve. He needed to be ready for anything in case the kid lost it again, "You hear me, cherry?"

A tiny flicker of sense sparked across the youth's face, and he slowly shook his head, "Sh.. shit... it was too... too much... So…sorry…"

"Yew'r dunna fee…" Torn muttered, hand splayed across his chin. The commander was no stranger to pain. He'd had broken bones in the past, though his face was new. Dark spots danced in front of his vision, and small, salty pools settled in the corners of his eyes, but he was way too hyped up with anger and adrenaline to back off without a fight.

Sig shot him a warning glare, only to be shocked when Jak wearily pushed his hand away and stumbled forward toward the simmering commander, "Let me fix it…"

"Woah now, I don't think that's a good idea _at all_, Cherry. Everything just went insane. There ain't no way..." The wastelander reached to place a steady hand on Jak's shoulder.

Jak shook it off and raised one hand to his chest, "I know... I know... but I can't leave it like... like that. I absorbed a lot of Eco... too much..." He paused, and took a deep breath that ground out into a single cough. His frame trembled slightly, and Sig noticed a faint glow radiating from his skin, "It's still inside... and I can use it to mend it... at least a bit... but I have to do it fast_._ It's not... it's not settling right."

The wastelander wondered if Jak meant Torn's broken Jaw, or the Eco. He assumed by the youth's hunched posture and look of panic he meant the Eco. That couldn't be good.

"Heww nah."

"Please!" Jak pleaded with a low growl. He took a few shaky steps, the light around him flickering slightly, "While I still can…"

Torn only glared, fingers itching to grab the kid and shake him senseless. Everything about this entire situation was completely screwed up. Part of him saw reason, knowing that Jak was sick, and had lost himself due to things that weren't entirely his fault. The other part of him didn't care. That just wasn't a good enough excuse for him.

All of this, everything... it was becoming too much. Hell, it had long since passed too much and rolled right into the realm of impossibility. The colliding worlds, the tears, the corruption, Jak — especially Jak, _whatever the hell he was now, because Torn was pretty sure he wasn't really human anymore_ — it was overwhelming. They were all at a boiling point, he hated that feeling of helplessness, and he especially hated losing control of a situation.

And that was it. Control. His jaw was broken, because Jak lost _control_. Torn wanted so badly to return the favor. Only a thin, frail thread of restraint kept him from doing so, the constant, angry throb of pain in his head egging him on, "Go fump inna wake!"

"I… I have to do it now!" Jak growled, growing increasingly frustrated. His flaring emotions only caused his Eco to surge back up, "It's… while I actually have _it_!"

"Sthay the heww away fwom meh." Torn spat, fingertips brushing against his blaster,"Twy meh, athhowe."

"ENOUGH!" Everyone jerked their head around to stare at the source of the shout. Damas was still kneeling at the damaged crystal, Daxter and Ashelin at his side. His shoulders were hunched, and one hand was pressed tightly against the side of his head. Bloodshot eyes glared at the arguing men, clearly fed up with everything that was going on. He sneered, his tone taking one he hadn't used in a very long time: that of the warrior King, "This is not the time for this! Infighting will get us nowhere, and we are running out of time! We are _lost, _and broken. Your world is _dying. _That is our priority right now. When all is said and done, you can take it to the arena if you so choose, but not _now!_"

There was a long stretch of silence, as the tension between the two feuding parties rose to an all-time high. Finally, Torn relented, and gurgled, "Juf dew id…"

Jak didn't wait for further invitation. He staggered forward and muttered, tone unapologetic, " Really gonna hurt," before carefully yet firmly cupping the side of the commander's face. Torn hissed in pain and tried to pull away, but Jak latched on to his wrist to keep him from escaping, "Don't. Move."

It took every ounce of trained self-discipline for the KG commander to do as he was told, and somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn't help but think this was the perfect situation for Daxter to make some obnoxious comment about personal space and inappropriate touching. This actually caused him to snicker to himself, surprisingly, and he saw Jak raise one brow almost quizzically, "Juth ged id ofer width…"

"Aww… How sweet. Kiss and make up." Daxter's voice echoed, lacking his usual mirth but teasing none the less.

And there it was. Torn rolled his watering eyes, unable to mask the pain in his face, "Thupid wat."

"What's a wat? Sorry Torn, buddy, but you're gonna have to speaka-da-english, I'm having a hard time understanding you." The ottsel probed. He knew he probably shouldn't push his luck, but just like everyone else, he was irritable and exhausted. His mouth was burning — taste buds pretty much fried due to Jak's blood — and his stomach felt like it was trying to escape through his throat.

Before Torn could retaliate, Jak grumbled through clenched teeth, "Stop. Stop talking..." He forced himself to focus through the ever growing haze in his mind, at least long enough to do what needed to be done. Even he was a bit surprised by his resolve, though he realized it was probably the sheer amount of Light Eco he'd absorbed that was keeping him conscious and at least partially functioning. It didn't make the struggle to channel it efficiently much easier, as his body was hastily tiring and on the verge of shutting down, but at least he hadn't just collapsed dead on the ground yet. He silently swore to himself that he _would_ hold out as long as it took to end this whole nightmare, regardless on if his body wanted to or not. Sheer willpower was all he had left, and he refused to let that go.

He wheezed slightly as he pulled with everything he had, voluntarily bringing what was left of his non-corrupted Light Eco to the surface. He knew that it would make it more vulnerable, but if he acted quickly enough, he should at least be able to get Torn's jaw to a point where Green Eco would be a viable option. He just needed to stay on point… he needed to make sure his Dark Eco didn't interfere, and his Light Eco stayed constrained.

"Gonna be sloppy. Gotta do this quick…" Jak breathed, just as his eyes fluttered shut and body tensed. There was a flash, and once again Light Jak stood in front of them. He lacked his wings, and didn't quite glow as intensely, due to Jak's determination to _only _draw on what was necessary. He winced, and shook his head, the signs of an internal struggle on display for all to see. His fingers twitched against Torn's skin, and the commander felt a quick, sharp stab of pain followed by a warm, slowly numbing pulse.

Light Jak cocked his head slightly to the side, half lidded eyes meticulously studying the man in front of him. It was hard to tell where his gaze was focused, and the eerie aura sent a chill down Torn's spine. He did not like being this close to either of Jak's transformed sides, especially considering the painfully recent events.

There was a brief moment of silence as Light Jak seemed to consider something. He tightened his grip around Torn's wrist, preparing for the negative reaction he'd receive as he roughly shoved his other fingers harder into the commander's Jaw. There was an unsettling grind, and Torn gave an awkward wail, free hand shooting up to yank away the offending hand.

Light Jak wouldn't budge, despite his best attempts to wrench free. Torn snapped his eyes shut to hold back the tears threatening to leak, silently promising that if Daxter made one stupid comment he'd skin the ottsel and wear his fur as a trophy . After a few agonizing seconds that seemed to stretch on for hours, there was finally a bit of relief. The numbing, soothing warmth was back, and streaking up the side of his face and down his jaw into the muscles of his neck.

As quickly as Light Jak had begun he pulled away, hand still cloaked in swirling, wispy energy. His eyes shifted from the commander and hastily scoured the rest of the group, focusing once again on the green skinned Sage.

Keira and Seem were both kneeling by Samos's side, looking up at the Eco being warily. Before anyone could object he'd appeared to vanish, reappearing with a rush of wind and energy between the startled women.

Several curses echoed through the cavern, but died out to a strained silence when Light Jak didn't move. He simply stood, staring down on the Sage with his large, glowing white eyes. His face was blank, no indication given on what his current motives were.

Samos was still on his knees, the earlier assault leaving him with little strength to stand, and even less to defend himself if the ethereal being in front of him chose to lash out again. His daughter and the Monk tightened their grips on his arm and shoulder respectively. While Seem had more control over her emotions, Keira's trembling fingers gave away her fear.

The Green Eco Sage gave a sigh of resignation before shaking his head and giving his daughter's hand a little pat with his own. He briefly met her worried eyes and sighed, before turning back to look up at his charge, "You've gotten so incredibly powerful, my boy..."

Light Jak's dissecting gaze never left the Sage. His glow flickered momentarily, his muscles tensing ever so slightly before he tilted his head in consideration. The corruption under his jaw pulsed, but seemed to be placated for the moment. The Sage suspected it wouldn't stay that way long, and knew that whatever needed to be said to appease the transformed youth needed to be said quickly.

The only problem was that he really didn't know what that was.

"Heh..." Samos closed his eyes and dropped his head below his shoulders with a tired snort and shake of his head, "It's pathetic, really. Stupid. It's easier for me when you're like _this_." He could feel Keira's grip twitch under his own, and he gently squeezed to assure her, "I can't face you, Jak. The normal you. I just can't."

"Daddy...?"

The mechanic's soft, questioning tone drew Samos's attention away just long enough to send her a sad smile. When he turned back he was slightly surprised to see that Light Jak was no longer focused on him, the transformed youth's swirling white eyes were centered on his daughter. She hadn't noticed, still concerned with the Sage.

Samos observed quietly for a few seconds, realizing that even though it was nearly non-existent, there _was_ something to read in Light Jak's expression. It was confusion. Confusion mixed with fear, and sadness, with just a hint of longing. Daxter would no doubt be able to put it into actual words, but it gave the Sage some comfort to know that he could still understand Jak's silent voice, even if it was just a bit. Another smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "I'm sorry, Jak."

It almost seemed as though Light Jak hadn't heard him. He visibly hesitated to look away from Keira, but eventually returned his attention to the small, kneeling man in front of him. The overabundance of Light Eco was beginning to fade now, and Samos suddenly made a startling observation... the Eco wisps in the air above and around them hovered closer to Jak, slowly dancing around him, skirting just close enough to not be absorbed or channeled, but still clearly attracted.

If it were a more appropriate time, Samos would have been unbelievably interested, eager to study it further and find out _why._

Not now though. The Sage couldn't help but shake his head in remorse at his own foolishness. He turned his eyes to the floor, glaring coldly at the slick, wet sheen that reflected the bright glow of the Eco enhanced young man standing inches from him, "I've caused you so much pain." He pulled his hand away from Keira, and tugged his glasses up and away from his eyes, "And I just keep doing it, don't I? I know, you won't forgive me, and I know I don't deserve it. Especially now..."

The Sage paused, as if expecting some type of reply. He was met with nothing but silence, so he cleared his throat and continued, "You are _dying_ Jak, and I want so desperately to stop it. I wanted to find _something..._" Even he was surprised when a weak sob tore from his lips, voice cracking and breaking away to a breathless sigh. He was drained, physically and emotionally, but he knew he needed to explain himself to the boy, "It _is_ all connected... everything. The Eco, the different worlds, Mar, the Precursors, _you..." _

No one else dared to move. Even the echo from the rushing river seemed to fade to silence. Every set of eyes were glued to the scene in front of them, shifting uneasily back and forth between the confessing Sage and stoic Light Jak. Time seemed to have stoped completely.

"I wanted to use that connection, and I took advantage of Damas to do it. I know he could have very easily been hurt, and for that I _am_ sorry..." Samos sighed, head still bobbed low. He hesitated momentarily, voice wavering, "...but I would still do it again."

Several people shifted uncomfortably. It had been obvious by Jak's sudden outburst and subsequent rage that the Sage had done _something_ to piss him off, but the vast majority of their group had no experience with Eco or its functions when it came to channeling... some of them were even unable to wrap their heads around the idea at all. Even those who had the skill to channel lacked knowledge to realize exactly what was going on at the time.

Even Seem, a distinguished Light Eco Monk, only had what she could learn at the temple to go on, and she still had so very much to learn. Samos had decades of intense study and practice. Jak had raw ability and instincts, not to mention his trials over the last few years. They were quite possibly the only two people in the world who could really comprehend what was happening.

"I would do it again." Samos repeated confidently in spite of his clenched eyes and quaking voice, "Part of this... it's my fault. I am to blame as much as the Precursors for what's happened to you, and now you're dying. I refuse to let that happen... You can't... I won't let you."

There was a sudden, gentle rush of power, followed by a hazy, faint hiss of dissipated energy. A body shuffled slightly in front of him, a light thud against the rocks. Samos forced the courage to open his eyes and look up, only to be surprised when he saw Jak's clouded blue irises staring back at him.

The youth's brow was pulled tight, eyes narrowed in what seemed like a mix of exhaustion and resentment, though the latter wasn't quite as intense as what the Sage had expected. The corruption pulsed dully, still branched across his neck and refusing to recede further. The blood that hadn't been wiped away earlier was dried under his nose and chin, and his mouth hung slightly open to draw air in between his sharpened teeth. He was hunched, sitting on his knees with his hands slumped lazily against the floor.

"You don't get to decide that." Jak's voice was almost shockingly calm, but everyone could see he was still struggling to keep his temper in check.

That simple statement seemed to crumble the Sage's resolve, and he once again snapped his eyes away and toward the floor, "Jak..."

"No. Don't." Jak's throat was raw, giving his tone a sharper inflection than he probably intended. He attempted to clear it before replying, "You don't get to _use_ other people, Samos. You aren't a Precursor, and you don't have the right..." Jak seemed to think about what he'd just said for a moment, and barked out a cold, sarcastic laugh, "Actually, neither do they.

I don't care what _you_ feel, not really. I don't care about _your_ conscience, and I really couldn't care less about the stupid Precursors. They can all rot..." Jak grimaced slightly, and closed his eyes, pulling a hand up to cradle his chest. He gave a small, unwanted groan and took a few deep breaths to try and ease the pain and mind numbing shroud that was creeping over his consciousness.

Samos could only look on remorsefully, a hard lump in his throat that wouldn't go away, "Jak, please..."

The youth shook his head violently and growled, "You want the truth? Here... here it is..."

Several seconds passed before he got his senses under control and reopened his eyes. It took even longer before his breathing returned to a relative normalcy.

Finally he spoke, "Feel guilty all you want... I 'm really... not gonna stop you..." He sneered at himself, clearly annoyed at his rapidly deteriorating state, "It might be a shock to you, since you seem to think you're the only one who's smart enough to figure anything out, but I'm pretty much dead already, Samos. I _know_ that. I _knew _it before we left Haven to come to this stupid freaking mountain. I knew it when we realized that this," he stretched his neck, dragging sharpened nails across the dark, twisting veins beneath the skin of his throat, "was corrupted Light Eco. It's no big newsflash to me, ok? I have no delusions about walking out of this place alive."

Daxter stiffened, staring wide eyed at his friend from his current post at Damas's side. His damp fur was standing on end, and his ears had dropped to frame his face dejectedly. His shoulders slumped, and he slowly swayed back to sit. It was one thing to consider it, to think about it...

It was another to hear Jak admit it. Out loud. In front of everyone.

Jak ignored several gasps and quiet, half-hearted arguments from his friends and allies. Keira had tears pouring from her eyes, and even though he paused hesitantly when he noticed — a flash of regret crossing his face before steeling itself into something more neutral — he still chose to continue on blatantly, "Honestly? It's better than the alternative at this point... Even if I did _somehow_ survive this and make it back to the surface, I would just end up like Gol."

He flexed his clawed fingers, purposely allowing small, crackling jolts of Dark Eco to bounce erratically between them. His eyes visibly darkened to a near black, and he bared his sharpened teeth. His voice came out as a raspy, angry rumble, "I'm _already_ half way there. I would bite the business end of a bullet before It came to that... and if I couldn't..." He turned a narrow gaze toward Sig, and cocked his head slightly to the side. He didn't need to finish his sentence, the meaning perfectly clear. He expected someone to take him out. The wastelander only looked on grimly, unable to give any semblance of an answer.

The Dark Eco fizzled out and Jak exhaled loudly, "So no, Samos. You don't get to make those decisions anymore. I'm done."

This time it was Keira that spoke, her voice barely audible between her muffled sobs, "Jak... you can't..."

He cut her off by shoving to his feet, unable to face her, "Let me get one thing straight: I'm really only doing this because I'm the only one who can. I'm not doing it for anyone's approval, or because anyone _asked_ me or made me. I'm doing it because I want to make sure..." His voice suddenly gave out, and he slowly shuffled forward, passing several of his staring, silent friends, "...to make sure no one _else_ dies."  
***

Jak refused to slow his pace, even though it was plain as day that he desperately needed to rest. He'd occasionally stumble, or hack out a wet cough against his palm, but otherwise kept moving forward. At one point he'd quietly mentioned that they must be getting close to their goal, if the build-up of Eco flowing through the air and ground were any indication.

It left the rest of the group to shuffle along behind him in quiet contemplation. Some of them were upset, tearful and downtrodden. Others were livid, giving the occasional huff or grumble beneath their breath.

Still, others were completely silent. Three of them in particular.

Vin, Damas, and Daxter.

They were at the rear of the group, eyes and camera settled on nothing in particular as they trudged along through the dimly lit caverns. The spider-bot was scampering along just beside the wastelander, all but his damaged leg clanking slightly against the smooth, cold stone beneath them. Daxter on the other hand was slumped weakly on Damas's shoulder, barely holding a grip to keep himself upright. He was still feeling incredibly sick, though admittedly, not all of it was because of the tainted blood he'd swallowed earlier.

The distance between them and the rest of the group was far enough that even Jak didn't pick up on Damas's mumble, "It's all just asinine, isn't it?"

Daxter's ears twitched, and he found himself replying quietly, "What is?"

"Everything. I don't understand it. How can any part of this entire situation — this ordeal — be considered anything but absurd?" He paused, eyes settling on the back of his son's head "How can one person... how can anyone expect... He's still a child. He is Mar, my son, but he's been made into something else... something more. He can physically control the very lifeblood of the world, but he's just meant to be a _sacrifice_." He spat the last word distastefully. "How can someone so powerful exist, only to be manipulated _so_ thoroughly? How can _he_ even be..." He was at a loss for words. He was only spouting half sentences, and just didn't know what he was really trying to ask at this point.

"Possible?" Daxter offered knowingly, finally raising his gaze to glance sideways at the man supporting him. He smirked wistfully, bringing a hand up to rub his eyes.

"Yes."

"Eco." Vin simply answered. It always came back to the Eco.

* * *

**Author's note: **Ok, hopefully that wasn't too bad. I've got mixed feelings. Like I wanted to show everyone's emotion's coming to a head... and Samos is kinda the perfect outlet for that. I just hope it didn't seem like unnecessary drama. I also hope the situation isn't becoming _too_ unbelievable with Jak. Let me know what you think by reviewing please!

Just a chapter or two more I'm thinking. We'll see how it ends up!


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's notes: **Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I've been able to post a chapter (Yay busted computer!) so even though I usually try and address all my reviewers, I'm gonna keep it short and sweet today.

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. Please know that I read each and every review, and I appreciate them all, good or bad.

There will only be one last chapter, and POSSIBLY a short Epilogue after this. I'm going to try and get it posted asap, while I still have time work on it while I'm at work.

Anyways, lots of sad arguing/bonding in this chapter, as well as exposition. I hope you enjoy it!

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

* * *

It was getting warmer, and that alone did wonders to improve the general morale of the group. No one would claim they were happy, by any means, but the fact that they could no longer see their breath, and weren't shivering uncontrollably felt like a silver lining they'd be foolish to take for granted.

Everything, including them, was still wet though. The rapids had picked up and were crashing against increasingly dense clusters of Eco crystals, all of which shimmered slightly more than they had previously. The Eco wisps had multiplied as well, and were fluttering about lazily, casting colorful, but still eerie shadows across everything in their wake.

Jak had remained deathly silent, and no one had made an attempt to speak with him. Even Daxter had backed off, choosing to remain weakly propped up on Damas's shoulder. He still wasn't feeling well, and his throat made his voice rough as sandpaper.

The ottsel had had the fleeting thought to confront Jak about it, making some kind of annoying quip to remind his friend that he owed him one for taking such a hit — for Samos of all people — but then Jak fell victim to a long string of wet, wheezy coughs that made everyone nervous.

And with that, any thought Daxter had about mentioning it vanished into thin air, replaced by the very blatant realization that Jak was dying and had already accepted it. His best friend had given up.

It left the furry sidekick feeling hollow and breathless… like he'd once again failed. He couldn't protect his friend. He couldn't save him. After everything that had happened, all the agony and pain and suffering… in the end nothing he did mattered. He has helpless, just like he had been as a kid, just like he had been during those two long years, and Jak was the one to pay the price for it.

How could he make a joke after all that?

So he stayed quiet, and avoided eye contact.

Damas cast him an occasional sideways glance, his expression almost as easy to decipher as Jak's. The wastelander kept a hardened scowl as best he could… and to anyone else he might have appeared unreadable and in control.

But not to Daxter. Daxter had _years _of experience dealing with Jak's mute, then over-emotional ass — more than a decade actually — and it had taken him very little time to pick up on Damas's subtle tells.

It was funny, really. Anyone would assume that even though they were related, their time apart and circumstances would ensure that their mannerisms and expressions would be vastly different, and at a first glance, that seemed the case.

But deep down they were very, very similar.

Sure, Jak used a lot of exaggerated hand motions and lacked any semblance of a poker face — he was just downright _bad_ at lying — and Damas didn't really share in _those_ traits… but that didn't matter.

It was all there in the eyes. If Jak's eyes were an open children's book, then his fathers were a short novel… and believe it or not, Daxter was an excellent reader.

What caught the ottsel off guard was that while it was glaringly obvious that the wastelander was terrified for the fate of his son... he was also worried about the small Precursor-bodied hitch-hiker he'd taken on. At one point Daxter had actually lost his footing a bit, one paw slipping on the slick shoulder guard as Damas pulled himself up and over a small ledge.

He'd damn near instinctively pulled a hand up to steady his passenger, without so much as a peep. A little while later, he'd preemptively held out a palm before jumping a small crevice.

And now he watched out of the corner of his eye as Daxter hung his head in shame. His neck turned slightly, old timeworn eyes curiously questioning why it was _his_ shoulder the ottsel was gracing... not out of annoyance, or even indifference. It was out of sincere concern.

That only served to break Daxter's heart even further.

As time passed the cave walls seemed to come alive with small amounts of vegetation. Mushrooms, vines and thick, gnarly roots broke through the stone — now speckled with damp dirt — and began to spread. Strange, delicate flowers bloomed in the dim light of the Eco crystals scattered throughout the stone and foliage, and moss collected in thick, hanging clumps from the ceiling and walls.

The further they went, the denser it got, and the faster the river rushed. The cavern widely opened up and branch out, and they found themselves traversing a path enshrined in plants that actually glowed themselves. Dim purples, teals and pinks highlighted their features… beautiful but unsettling. Small, shallow pools of water had formed some distance away, giving off faint wisps of steam, but otherwise sat calm. None of them had ever seen anything like it, and they couldn't help but stare in wonder.

Even Jak had stopped with a sharp intake of breath to glance around in awe, and Samos gathered the courage to approach while his charge was distracted by the view. He cleared his throat and stroked his beard as he avoided meeting the corrupted youth's gaze, "Perhaps we should take a small break."

Jak remained silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head, "No. We're too close."

"Yes, I know. But we're finally far enough away from the water to dry off, and warm up." When Jak continued to look unconvinced, the Sage bit his lower lip before adding, "And I would like the opportunity to make my rounds and check on Torn and Ashelin's injuries. It won't take too long."

It was a sly misdirection of sorts — he was using Jak's conscience against him — but it wasn't exactly a lie. He only hoped that the young warrior's irritation toward the Sage wouldn't cause him to dismiss the others as well.

Jak seemed to weigh the options in his mind for a moment, tilting his head slightly and drawing one hand up to his chest to cradle it. He stole a quick glance back toward the others, all of whom did their best to look inconspicuous. Finally, he let out a sigh and nodded, trudging silently away to plop down on a giant root near one of the more secluded pools.

With that, the tension seemed to break and everyone drifted away from one another, finding little alcoves of their own to settle in. It only remained quiet for a few minutes before hushed chatter began, discussing everything from injuries to their surroundings. Everyone who had a gun — and had managed not to lose them to the river — instinctively went to work dismantling and cleaning, eagerly checking to see if they were still operational. That included Jak himself, Torn, Sig and Ashelin.

Damas stood in place for a moment before deciding to head toward his son, stopping only a few feet away to observe him from behind.

Jak's shoulders were slumped tiredly, and he slowly turned his weapon in his hands, claws picking at dirt and grime embedded in it's crevasses. He began taking it apart, in slow, deliberate motions. His breathing somewhat shallow as he worked.

Hesitantly, the wastelander placed a gentle palm on Jak's shoulder, receiving a sudden, unsuspecting jump in response. The youth craned his neck to look up at the man next to him, at first with a hard, annoyed glower that slowly melted away into a defeated, apologetic smirk. He flagrantly ignored the scrutinizing look from his best friend still seated on Damas's shoulder as he questioned, "You ok?"

Damas almost deadpanned, but managed to stop himself just in time, "I'll be fine. I'm more concerned with you."

"Don't be." Jak used one hand to wave lazily, "There's no point."

Before the wastelander could reply, Daxter bristled and leaned forward, claws clenching tightly around the rim of his perch. A surge of anger bubbled up from deep in his gut and he hissed, "Don't say that." His tone was harsh, and his damaged esophagus made each word rasp like a pained growl, "Don't freaking say that."

Jak's eyes widened in surprise, and he turned even further to focus on his friend, "Dax…"

"Agh… you're so… so…" Daxter threw his arms up and took a deep breath, "STUPID! ARRGH! SHUT UP!"

The outburst echoed loudly throughout the cavern, drawing various glances and stares. Jak actually shirked away almost guiltily, head tilted down and shoulders hunched inward. He looked intimidated by the ottsel... a shocking display from someone who could stand toe to toe with the likes of Kor, or even stare down a Terraformer without so much as a flinch.

"You're so freaking…" Daxter sighed, shaking his head as he gripped it tightly with one hand. He let out a groan, and bit his lower lip as a migraine struck. Damas quickly raised a palm to steady the slightly swaying passenger.

"D…Dax?" Jak not only looked terrified, but sounded it as well as he shoved himself to his feet, his own pains and fatigue all but forgotten, "What's…?"

"Ugh… Nothing. You're just stupid." He hardly seemed to notice when the wastelander took the initiative to scoop him up one handed, firmly but gently lowering him toward the corrupted youth.

Jak hesitated, unsure if his touch was welcome or not. When Daxter shivered slightly he threw caution to the wind and reached out, "Dax…?"

"I feel gross…"

Jak's eyes narrowed and he brushed his palm a few inches above his friend's furry frame. A few seconds passed before he gasped, "Dammit…" He looked up to meet Damas's gaze, "Hold him still."

Daxter gave a pained whine as a few stray bolts of Dark Eco leapt from his form to Jak's, "Stop it…"

"No."

"You're so…"

"Stupid. I know." Jak grunted, easing the residue Dark Eco from his friend as carefully as he could manage.

There wasn't too much… Jak regularly absorbed more than this from even the smallest metal-heads, but Daxter's body wasn't used to the unfiltered substance, and was so small that it really didn't take a substantial amount to do serious damage. Yeah, he'd been turned into an ottsel by Dark Eco… but that was a miraculous fluke. He could handle being around it, even touching the trace amounts that scattered from Jak during his episodes… but this was different. This was _inside._ This was bad.

A few seconds later Jak's immediate task was complete, and he focused on the matted blood in Daxter's mussed, orange fur. His mind raced, unable to piece together the events that led to his friend's current state, "I don't… when did you get hurt? Did I...?" Calloused fingers proceeded to poke and prod, only to be angrily swatted away.

"This is yours!" Daxter hissed, eyes still clenched shut, "Had to stop you somehow…"

It took a few moments for realization to strike, and once it did Jak tensed and widened his clouded gaze, shifting to stare at his wrist, "You _bit_ me?"

"Ugh…"

"Shit, Dax…" Jak breathed, raising his head to questions the rest of the onlookers, "Dammit… does anyone have any clean water left?"

Seem and Torn were the only two that managed to keep hold of their packs, and they both instantly began shuffling around. The Monk shook her head, but Torn managed to find one, and toss it over. Jak nodded a silent thank you, and practically ripped the cap off the top before shoving it toward the weakened ottsel, "You gotta drink…"

"I ain't _gotta_ do nothin'."

"Dax, _please!"_

"Aw, screw you. You don't get to act all… all high and mighty. Where do you get off?" Daxter opened his eyes and narrowed his gaze defiantly, "How do you like it?"

"What?"

"You're all ready to die… gonna sacrifice yourself and all that for the _greater good…_" A broken, gurgled sob broke from the ottsel's throat, "And you just act like it's no big deal! You act like it doesn't matter!"

Jak licked his lips uneasily, one hand still shoving the water toward his friend, the other at his side, white knuckled. His sharp nails were digging into his skin, but he hardly seemed to notice. He tried to bring himself to speak — to interrupt Daxter before he could continue — but couldn't manage the words.

"I mean, it ain't like we don't make dangerous and death-defying an everyday occurrence…" Daxter was rambling now, still slumped in Damas's gentle grasp and waving one hand defiantly through the air, "But we always get out… we always manage to…"

"Dax..."

"No!" Daxter growled, splaying his fingers across his eyes in an attempt to hide the tears that were forming, "Shut up."

"We've almost died more times than I can count, Daxter... we've even said our goodbyes before. I don't see..."

"BUT WE WERE TOGETHER!" Daxter screeched, "We were together, and you never just _gave up. _There's no Demolition _Duo_ without..." His voice gave out and he shook his head, rolling his gaze away from his friend, "You just gotta be some freaking _martyr..."_

Jak looked up toward the wastelander, who's expression had grown steely and cold in its own right, then back down at the stubbornly brooding ottsel. He hesitated a moment before pulling his extended hand away, first setting the bottle down before curling his fingers up against his chest. Taking a few steps back, he sighed, then closed his eyes, "I don't know what you want me to do."

Daxter stayed silent, and Jak kept his eyes closed as he tried to clear his mind and focus. His emotions were racing, and both the Eco in the surroundings and the pain of the corruption was inhibiting his ability to just _think. _

Seconds seemed to stretch for hours before finally, someone moved. Someone spoke.

"Come on Daxter... let's get you cleaned up."

It was Keira. She'd quietly made her way toward the smaller group, and before anyone had noticed her presence, had gently reached out to relieve Damas of his current burden. The ottsel didn't bother squirming as she gave him a comforting hug, and brushed her way past the two dumbfounded warriors and toward the pool of water behind them.

Jak tried to meet her gaze, only to have her send him an icy glare that sent an unnerving chill down his spine. He instantly recoiled, and she gave a small, angry snort and continued on her way. She was clearly very, very angry with him.

Within seconds she was kneeling at the edge of the pool, whispering something to Daxter that not even Jak's enhanced hearing could make out. She cautiously reached out to test the temperature of the water, and once deciding it wasn't _too_ warm, scooped a bit up to study, making sure it was safe before attempting to scrub some of the grime out of her friend's fur.

The corrupted youth clenched his firsts and spun on his heal, not quite stomping his way back toward the river. He stopped at a small outcrop and brushed his hand through his hair a few times before sighing loudly, practically collapsing into a seated position to stare off in the direction they were still headed.

The rest of the group resumed mumbling to themselves, some of them opting to follow Keira's lead and use the clear water of the pools to wipe away any remaining blood and grime, the pleasing warmth a welcome contrast to the could waters they'd escaped from earlier.

Damas sighed, raising his gaze to look back toward the bulk of their party. He met Sig's eye, who only jerked his head toward the troubled youth and raised his brow.

With just a bit of hesitation, Damas gathered the courage to shuffle off toward his otherworldly son.

Jak was too lost in his own thoughts to notice the wastelander's approach. Pain etched his features, but it was clearly second to the confusion that plagued his mind. His hand was still up against his chest, and his shoulders slumped inward, curling his frame and making him appear so very small.

A deep breath lead to a rattled cough. Jak's hand shot up, only to be speckled with blood once it was pulled away. He groaned, staring down in offense at his palm before pulling it away and resting it limply against the stone ground below him.

"Jak?"

Jak was caught off guard by Damas's voice. He cocked his head to the side slightly, as if turning a good ear toward the sound, "I still want to know if you're ok. What Samos did..."

Damas slowly slumped down next to the youth and narrowed his eyes so that he could try and see what Jak seemed to find so interesting in the distance, "My muscles feel as if I was left too long in a sandstorm, and my head is pounding. Though, it's truly hard to explain... my mind is tired, but my body is full of energy, despite the aching."

Jak gave a slight hum of consideration before replying, "Sounds like Eco strain... It's rarer with Green Eco, but it can definitely happen. Especially considering the source..."

The wastelander rubbed the back of his head with one hand and gave a small, almost embarrassed grunt, "I do not remember everything that happened... It all seems so hazy."

The half-transformed youth gave a small snort, "Welcome to the club."

"How are _you_ feeling?"

Jak shrugged, and lowered his hands so that he could lean back, "Honestly? Other than my ears ringing and body freaking out over all the Eco in the air and crap... tired. Really tired."

"I wish there was something I could do to help you."

Jak sighed, "There isn't." He pulled at the belts that held one of his gauntlets in place, first removing the armor, then the worn set of gloves that lay underneath. He turned his wrist upward and looked down at his bare arm, then slowly held it out for Damas to see.

It was faint, but there were several thin, dark veins visible just beneath his skin. The corruption.

"It's spreading faster now. I don't really know how... but I _think_ the only thing keeping me alive at this point is all the Eco in the air that I'm absorbing. I'm actually surprised I've lasted this long."

"You've given up then?"

"Everyone keeps saying that!" Jak growled, "I mean, I'm still here aren't I? I'm going to fight tooth and nail until the end. I've just decided it's stupid to act like it's not happening. It's just... I can feel it. Every time I strain myself I get a little worse... then I absorb a little Eco, and get a second wind. Then I get worse again..." He paused, "Now, everything is starting to feel numb. Eventually I'm not going to get that second wind."

Damas was at a loss for words. Jak wasn't bothering to hide the truth, and was being very forthcoming for once... If only it hadn't been about his impending death.

"We're so close though..." Jak murmured quietly, "I just have to make it through this one last thing. Then everyone be safe, and somebody else'll have to start saving the world for a change."

"Your friends are very... distraught."

"I know."

"You should speak with them."

"I know." Jak leaned forward and dragged a few fingers down his exposed arm, "But like I told you before... I was never any good at talking. I don't know what to tell them."

"Do you have any regrets?"

"Oh, man... a ton." Jak gave a gloomy chuckle, "I think anyone that says they don't is a damn liar."

Damas hummed in agreement, "I used to think that as long as I died fighting, a true warriors death, I would have no regrets. I know now that I was lying to myself. It wasn't until you died in my world that I realized that I regretted so many things. I could not believe I hadn't realized who you were sooner. I regretted not reaching you in time. I regretted loosing you when you were a boy..." He paused, and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, "I regretted the fact that I did not get a chance to say goodbye. The last thing we did before we got separated during our mission was curse each other out over pride and a petty argument. You died angry, and without ever knowing the truth. You died before I could apologize. I regret that most of all."

Jak sat in silent contemplation for several moments before stating, "When you... this Damas... when he died, he acted like he didn't have any regrets. He said it was a _good day to die._"

"He was lying."

"I know. I just wish I had gotten a chance to tell him... even if he wouldn't have believed me, I would have given anything for the chance. He probably regretted coming to save my ass that day."

"Life can be cruel, but if it's any consolation, I am sure that deep down, his heart knew. Mine did." Damas smirked, "And I can assure you that was most definitely not one of his regrets."

Jak shoved himself to his feet and brushed off his pants, "Either way, its been one hell of a fight."

"I suppose it has... and I am not ready to throw in the towel just yet. You shouldn't be either." His voice held an air of confidence, but the look in his eyes held evidence of his doubt.

"Thanks." Jak shrugged, and turned back toward his friends without another word.

Damas sat and watched him walk away for a few moments before turning back to face the river. He brought one hand up to rub his brow, and let out a deep, weary sigh.

Jak took a moment to look over the rest of the group. Sig had shed several pieces of armor, either because it was damaged or because he was just tired of wearing it. Torn had removed his jacket, and was currently rubbing his jaw. It was still dark and bruised... and was no doubt still very tender.

Seem's face paint was smudged, and running... but it seemed as though she had refused to wipe it away. Instead, she was helping Samos poke and prod at Ashelin's injured arm.

Vin was pacing patiently, a bit wobbly due to the spider-bot's damaged leg. Every few seconds he'd stop to study the oddly colored flora, and if Jak had to make a guess, he was snapping pictures for his records so that he could study them later.

Finally his gaze settled on Daxter and Keira. Their backs were to him, and the former was currently leaning heavily against the mechanics side, his fur still mussed and wet, but newly clean. Jak was relieved to see that she'd gotten him to drink the water.

Keira was down to her tank top and pants, and had one hand wrapped gently around the ottsel's shoulders. Next to her were Jak's goggles, no longer tied to her belt.

Jak sighed, and shuffled closer. Daxter's ears twitched and muscles tensed as his friend approached, but he didn't bother to turn around. Keira noticed, and turned her neck so that she could glare coldly in his direction.

"Hey." Jak muttered meekly, bringing one hand up to scratch nervously at the back of his neck.

Her only reply was to narrow her eyes sharply and turn away.

This hurt more than he would have liked to admit, and he found himself unsure of what to say. He squirmed uncomfortably, before asking, "Are you ok, Dax?"

The ottsel shrugged, "Been better."

"I'm sorry."

Daxter flinched, and hung his head, "Why are you apologizing...? I'm the one that freaked out."

"I deserved it."

"I don't want you to die."

Jak froze, his heart leaping to his throat. After a few beats of awkward silence he sighed, and trudged forward to sit down next to his long time friends, "I don't want to die either."

"I feel so like such a freaking bastard."

"What?" Jak's eyes widened, and he turned to look down at the ottsel at his side, "Why?"

"When we were kids, you were always saving my butt. From everything... bullies, animals, Lurkers... you were always there. That's just what you did. You protected everybody... saved the world because you were this big, damn hero. Then... then you got caught, and I couldn't do anything. I just ran away."

Jak could tell his friend wasn't done ranting, so he stayed quiet, but couldn't hide his startled expression.

"I abandoned you... I... The one guy who always had my back, the one guy who did everything he could to try and find a way to turn me back, and I freaking abandoned you..."

"Daxter, if you would have stayed, they would have either killed you on the spot, or taken you too..." Jak shuddered, as he thought of what _could_ have befallen his small friend, "When they realized you weren't just some weird animal..."

"But I ran away!"

"You came back. You got me out."

"_Two years later!"_ Daxter's voice hit a high note, echoing off the cavern walls, causing Jak to wince at the sharp noise.

Several pairs of eyes jerked in their direction... but then looked away guiltily when Keira shot them a warning look.

Jak sighed and scratched at the back of his head, "Dax..."

The ottsel sighed, and slumped his shoulders, "Like a freaking coward."

"You're two feet tall and weigh what, twenty... maybe twenty five pounds? That didn't stop you from sneaking into a heavily guarded hellhole just to drag my messed up ass out of there. That's pretty ballsy."

"You wouldn't have gotten so messed up if I'd..."

"No." A low growl bubbled up from Jak's throat, and he narrowed his eyes angrily, "That is not. Your. Fault."

"Jak..."

"You got me out." Jak repeated bluntly, "Then you stayed. After all the screwed up shit you saw me do, after all the dangerous places I dragged you into."

"I couldn't run away again... I didn't want you to get caught again, or hurt yourself..."

"I know."

"I thought you were gonna die, and it would be my fault... but I didn't know what to _do_! All I was ever good for was _talking... a_nd you didn't even need me for that anymore either."

Jak took a deep breath and leaned back, looking up at the faintly growing branches of a gnarled, strange tree above them, "If you hadn't been there, I definitely would have died a long time ago... or _worse_." He looked down at his sharpened nails, a deep seated frown forming as he allowed a small jolt of Dark Eco bounced between his fingers, "Don't sell yourself short, Dax. You saved me."

"Until I sat back and let Erol get you again... now you're gonna..." His voice cracked, but he cleared his throat and continued, "...and you're still being you. Still ready to be the hotshot hero... and no matter how much I try, I don't know how to stop it! I'm so..." The ottsel brought his knees up and curled in on himself, palming his face with both hands, "I could have done something different. Prepared or somethin'."

After a few seconds of heavy silence, Jak suddenly let out a small chuckle, "Now you're just giving yourself too much credit."

"What?"

"You couldn't have known any of this was gonna happen, Dax... unless turning into a Precursor somehow made you psychic or something and you've been keeping it secret all these years."

"Jak..."

"I'm serious." Jak had a small smirk on his face as he spoke, "You aren't... right?"

"What?"

"A psychic. You can't see the future, can you?"

"No!" Daxter shrieked, jerking his head up to glare at his friend.

"Because if you are, and you didn't tell me..."

"Sheesh, ok. Ok, I get it. Dammit. Shut up." Daxter sighed, and shook his head, "Can't just let a guy selfishly feel sorry for himself, can you? I'm sorry, Ok?"

"You have nothing to be sorry for Dax." Jak grew a bit more somber, as a few, unintended coughs interrupted his conversation, "I'm sorry, for putting you through this... all of it. I'm the one who's been selfish."

"Yeah... well..." Daxter slowly pushed himself to his feet, and waved one hand dismissively, "You should be." He paused, and rubbed his brow, "I still feel gross..."

"Yeah... that's probably minor Eco poisoning, bud. I still can't believe you had to _bite_ me..." Jak frowned, a look of shame overtaking his features, "Sorry."

"Eh," Daxter stretched, "It worked, didn't it?"

"You should check and see if anyone has any rations left... getting something in your stomach might help."

The ottsel nodded wearily, then slowly began to trudge away toward the rest of the group. He joked darkly, "Just don't croak before I get back."

Jak gave a snort and shook his head. He knew Daxter was still upset—rightfully so — but didn't feel like anything else really needed to be said about it.

Keira on the other hand... He had no idea what to say to her. She was still sitting next to him, rigid and silent. One of her hands was absentmindedly thumbing the leather of his goggles, and it was obvious that she was avoiding eye contact.

"Keira..."

"You attacked my dad, Jak."

"I know." He clenched his fist, and leaned his head back, "And I'm sorry. I lost control."

"That's not an excuse..."

"I didn't mean for it to be."

"I was so scared..." She paused, and leaned forward, dragging the goggles into her lap and turning them in her hands, "It all happened so fast, and I thought you were going to kill him."

"I'm sorry."

The mechanic looked like she wanted to snap back at him, but bit her bottom lip to stop herself. Several tense seconds passed between the two before she took a deep breath and continued, "Is Damas ok?"

"He can't remember everything, and probably has a killer migraine, but he'll be fine once he's away from all this ambient Eco."

"I... I can't pretend to understand what happened. I don't know what my dad did, but Seem told me it was dangerous and stupid. She said Damas could have died." Her grip tightened on the object in her hands, "So I know _why_ you flipped out. Part of me wants to forgive you... the other part wants to punch you in your face."

"That's fair."

"I don't want you to die either."

"Keira..."

"Everything is so messed up..." She swallowed hard, and a few tears streaked their way down her cheeks, "I'm so mad at you... but I love you, and I can't..."

Jak once again apologized, "I'm sorry..."

"I'm scared..."

The corrupted youth stiffened, his breath hitched as he assumed, "Of me..."

"That's not what I mean!" Keira finally turned to glare at him, "Yes, you scared me. What you _did _scared me... but most of all I'm scared of loosing you again! And it's stupid, because I keep thinking about myself, and how I feel, even though your the one that's... that's..."

Jak moved before his brain could talk him out of it. He gently cupped on of her cheeks, and carefully used his thumb to wipe away her tears, "I'm sorry..."

She leaned into him, her forehead settling against his collarbone. Her back heaved with a few, quiet sobs, and he did his best to try and comfort her by stroking her side. After a few seconds he noticed a handful of dark bruises and scrapes on her shoulder and frowned, bringing his fingers up to brush against them, "What happened?"

"What?" She sounded confused, and turned her head to look where he was touching, "I don't know... it probably happened when we fell in the river and you dragged me out. Everyone's got a bunch of bumps and bruises aright now." She jerked away from his touch when she felt a faint tingle of energy dance between them, "Don't even think about it! They aren't anything serious, and you better believe I'll knock your teeth out if you even _try_ to heal them right now."

Jak almost looked guilty at being caught, and immediately stopped channeling. Once she was sure he wasn't going to try again, she went back to leaning up against him. They remained like that until Samos slowly shuffled his way over and stopped in front of them, nervously wringing his hands. He glanced down and grew even more somber when he noticed that Jak had removed the armor on his left arm, "Will you let me take a look?"

Jak shrugged, and released Keira so that she could pull away. He extended his palm toward the Sage without saying a word.

Samos cautiously grabbed the youths wrist, and leaned forward to get a better look. He hummed quietly to himself before asking, "And your other arm?"

"It's worse on this side." Jak stated nonchalantly, but reached over to unbuckle the other gauntlet anyway. Once the gloves were pulled away and discarded — after all, there really was no point in keeping them any longer — he let Samos poke and prod at the dirty, but as of yet untainted skin.

Jak hissed when the Sage moved back to his other arm, then dragged of few, Green Eco charged fingers down his skin. He tore himself away, spinning so that he could snarl down at the older man, "Satisfied?"

"It must be quite painful."

"You think?" Jak snapped, his eyes darkening dangerously. Daxter had returned, and he held out one outstretched arm so that the ottsel could climb to his usual perch. "Ok, that's enough... Is everyone else ready?"

"Yes..."

"Then let's go."

A few minutes later, they were back to following the river toward their goal.  
***

"Holy Yakkow..." Daxter wrapped his fingers around Jak's shoulder plate as tight as he could before leaning forward to get a better look.

"Yeah..." Jak breathed, his own sharpened nails latching on to the craggy rock wall beside them.

The river had ended in an abrupt waterfall, and they found themselves standing in a crumbling hole in the rock, glancing out into another ancient cavern.

He was usually confident in his footing — after all, he'd climbed to various death defying heights various times throughout their adventures without batting an eye — but considering his weakened state and the sheer drop before them, he really didn't want to take any chances.

The chasm before them was unbelievably massive... so much so that they couldn't even hope to see the ceiling or far walls, and it was all uncomfortably bright and warm. It was almost like someone had taken a giant drill and bore directly toward the center of the world... the walls themselves even had similar grooves, deeply lined with tarnished, gold precursor tubing and what looked like ancient platform rails, long dead with disuse.

Other crevices existed like the one they were standing in, breaking through the carved rock like jagged doorways into other natural tunnel systems. They were clearly formed after everything had gone into disrepair, some possibly by the earthquakes, and others that probably just shifted into existence over time.

From some of those cracks they could see overgrown root systems and glowing plants similar to the ones that surrounded them now. Others, like their own, erupted with crashing waterfalls, or steaming, thick magma that fell for several miles.

As amazing as all of that was, nothing could compare to what lay in the vastness below them. A ever warring mass of Light and Dark Eco swirled like oil and water, boiling hot and glaringly bright. Somehow the two forces were co-existing, neither overpowering the other despite their violent dance. Unfiltered and raw, it was a perfect balance that had lasted since the creation of their world.

Jak almost felt jealous in a way. It was that same balance that the Precursors had tried to instill within him, their chosen 'hero'. Maybe it would have all worked out in the end had Erol not resurfaced.

A sudden dizziness made him felt lightheaded... and he brought one hand up to clutch absentmindedly at his chest. He could feel the four basic Eco types flowing through the pipelines, twisting and winding their way toward the surface world... everything pulsed, like blood flowing through veins. Eco wisps existed in almost unbelievable numbers, fluttering lively about in the air around them. His ears were ringing so loudly that it made it difficult to hear his own thoughts.

Samos was the first one to join the demolition duo at the ledge, and he almost stumbled back out of pure shock, "By the Precursors..." His eyes followed pretty much the same path that Jak's had, slowly drifting about in awe and finally settling on the pool below them, "This... this is it, isn't it?"

Jak swallowed, and licked his dry lips. His voice was raspy as he spoke, "Yeah."

It didn't take long before the rest of their to surface around them, each one having their own moment of disbelief. Even those that couldn't channel found themselves squirming uncomfortably, the tingling energy was so thick in the air.

Jak found himself trembling uncontrollably, his mind erratic. His senses were being constantly bombarded, and he could feel the Eco within his own body bubbling up to lash out, "I uh... we..." he shook his head and closed his eyes, "Shit..."

A heavy palm rested on the shoulder not occupied by Daxter, and Jak gave a small start as he jerked his head around toward the touch.

Damas stood confidently behind him, his grip tightening in a show of support. Somehow this simple gesture seemed to calm Jak somewhat, and he brought his hands up to rub at his temples. They didn't have time for him to freak out... he had no idea how long his body was going to be able to hold out as it was. He just needed to take a few seconds to catch his breath and settle his nerves.

"What the hell is this?" Ashelin asked, eyes shifting to settle on the Green Eco Sage, "Where are we?"

Samos rubbed his eyes and turned to face the rest of the group, "This is the source. This is where everything begins."

"The heart of our world." Seem elaborated, her voice humbly quiet. She motioned a quick prayer to herself, "It appears we've reached our journeys end."

"Where's the machine?" Torn grunted despite the pain in his jaw.

Samos and Seem both shrugged tiredly.

Jak cocked his head and once again trailed his eyes along the corkscrew mess of Precursor piping, slowly following its path upwards... after several long seconds he stated, "I think this _is_ the machine."

Several people voiced their confusion, and Samos questioned, "What do you mean, my boy?"

"Look." Jak pointed, dragging his fingers along the pathways engraved throughout the stone, "Follow that pipe up..."

They all did, and after about a minute they found themselves staring at an extending outcrop of sorts a fair distance above them. It looked like a metallic platform, built in the shape of a giant pin that was anchored out from the wall with the head over the direct center of the cavern. Several pipes and wires twisted their way to it's base.

"That's gotta be where we need to go." Jak murmured, shifting his focus in an attempt to try and discover a way up. He had a rough idea, but it was going to be a dangerous and slow trek... especially for those who weren't used to climbing.

Sig whistled, "Damn... how the hell we gonna get up there?"

The partially transformed youth sighed, and motioned to the nearest groove. It wove it's way through the rock face below them, forming a narrow ledge about ten feet down that looked sturdy enough to support their weight. Embedded in the rock along the ledge was one of the Eco pipes. If they were careful, they should be able to jump down and then follow the pipe's long, arcing path up to the platform in question. He could make out just a few breaks in the stone that they'd have to jump, but none of them looked like anything that was too far a distance even for even the less athletic members of their group.

"You've got to be kidding." Daxter barked, "Please tell me you're kidding."

"It's the only way."

"That's crazy, Jak... and you know it."

"When is it ever not crazy?" Jak growled, "Listen, Dax, I know it's dangerous. But we really don't have enough time to sit here an think of something else." He curled and uncurled his fingers anxiously, "We're way too close, and this much Eco is definitely toxic. Not just for me..."

"I'm afraid he's right." Samos added, "None of us should be here longer than we have to be. Channeler or not."

"Great. You're telling us we came all this way and now we're all going to die of Eco poisoning?" Torn snorted, "Why am I not surprised?"

"If we don't finish our task and find a way out of here soon..." Samos sighed, "Then yes, that's entirely possible."

"But...!" Daxter wanted to argue, but found himself at a loss for words.

Before he could recover, Sig stepped forward, "Whelp, that's that then. I'll go first."

"What?" Jak snapped his attention toward the wastelander, "Sig?"

"You and Damas can help lower me down a bit so I can get my footing, then I'll be there to catch people if they slip. It ain't that far of a jump."

"You sure?"

"Sure as I've ever been Cherry." He was already leaning out over the edge, "Just glad I ditched some of that armor. I _hate_ climbing."

A few moments later Jak and Damas were kneeling at the cliffs edge, gripping one of Sig's arms tightly as he struggled to lower himself as steadily as possible. He gave a quiet grunt and looked up at Jak, "I'm getting a major case of Deja vu here, kid."

Jak couldn't help but chuckle slightly, "Hard to think this all started with us climbing up the side of that stupid mountain, huh?"

"All for a damn Dark Maker artifact."

All in all it had only taken less than an hour for them to slowly trudge their way up to their goal, which was much less time than Jak had originally expected. The rock beneath their feet was relatively steady, and the precursor piping was curved and textured enough for them to hang on to as they walked. No one had fallen, despite one close call where Ashelin had almost lost her footing after a jump due to her arm still being bound by their makeshift brace.

No one wanted to think about what could happen if an earthquake struck while they were climbing. Luckily, it didn't come to that, and one by one they found themselves standing on shaky legs atop the large metal platform.

Now that they'd arrived, they discovered that it was actually shaped more like an anchor. The curved hook was nestled in the wall, and house a long row of old, but seemingly intact consoles. Numerous empty monitors hung above them.

Smack dab in the middle of said computers was a ramp that held a large inactive Precursor ring. It was eerily similar to the one that had originally sent a young Jak and Samos to the past. In front of that was a dead Precursor statue.

Keira gave Jak's arm a light squeeze as she passed, slowly making her way toward the ring to inspect it. Vin had already scurried off toward the computers, with several of the others in tow.

Jak took the time to study the rest of the platform.

While the main part was solid, the long, skinny bridge that extended out toward the center of the cavern had no rail, and was finely grated. Jak was able to see straight through the floor into the bubbling maelstrom of Eco that lay miles below them. It was still entirely too bright to look at for longer than a few seconds, and he found himself blinking away tears as he rose his gaze to the end of the bridge.

It extended toward a small, domed room of sorts that had numerous twisting, weaving wires and precursor tubes sprouting from the top and out toward the darkness above. He followed them with his eyes as best he could, but couldn't actually see where they lead.

Nor could he see what was actually in the circular room from where he was standing. He was just about to approach it when a loud, familiar voice echoed across the cavern, "You made it."

Jak spun on his heel just in time to see the Precursor statue's eyes start to glow. His friends had all taken several steps back, unsure of what to expect.

"I... I wasn't sure you would. I truly am glad."

Damas let out a hiss, "Precursor!"

"Yes... hello Damas."

"You're still alive..." The wastelander narrowed his eyes suspiciously on the statue.

"For now, yes."

"...And what of our world?"

"Irreparable. Nothing exists of the places you once knew... all that's left are the Dark Makers and their precious void." The deep, booming voice of the statue let out a sad sigh, "It doesn't matter now. We have a job to do... and I really don't have much of my power left. Luckily, this leyline is incredibly strong. I should be able to retain a connection for as long as we need."

"I have questions." Jak suddenly interrupted, much to the surprise of his friends.

"I know. And you deserve answers."

"You've just been sitting around in the dark, waiting for us to show up?" Daxter asked as his best friend drew closer to the ancient, rumbling statue.

The Precursor let out a weak, weary chuckle, "Something like that. I knew my counterpart and the other Precursors of your world were absent. I knew you'd need help. So I've been playing hide and seek with Erol and the Dark Makers, praying for your success."

"Erol's still alive?" Jak growled, taking a sharp, nervous breath.

"In a matter of speaking..." The Precursor answered, "He did not return from your world entirely unscathed. He's no more than a broken puppet for the Dark Makers now, even if he doesn't realize it. A program with a personality."

"So, your saying he's like Vin?" It was Sig that asked this question. The construct near his feet almost seemed to stiffen, slightly offended.

"No. Vin still has free will. He's still conscious... alive within the grid."

"So then, what is Erol?"

"A machine that is programmed to _think_ it is alive. A well developed AI tasked with the continued destruction of anything and everything that is touched by the light. He carries out the will of the Dark Makers in ways that they are unable to."

"How did he ever control them then?" Ashelin wondered aloud.

"I don't believe he ever really did."

"Then why was he so crazy about capturing Jak?" Keira asked.

"I suppose that could be residual. Obsession from his life crossing over and confusing the programming... he believed that a perfect living Dark Eco weapon would been a useful tool in eradicating the Light. I'm sure the Dark Maker's agreed... which of course lead to horrible circumstances."

Jak rubbed his chest in the dead silence that followed. Most of his friends and loved ones avoided making eye contact, and he slowly found himself growing irritable. He wanted to ask a million other questions, but knew they didn't have the time to sift through them all... he slowly came to the conclusion that a lot of the answers wouldn't matter in the end, considering the ticking timer on his life.

That narrowed it down to two. Two answers he desperately wanted before he died.

"Did you know all this would happen?" He asked quietly.

The Precursor hesitated, "Not exactly... no."

"Bullshit. Then why create the damn machine and put it behind one of those stupid doors?" Daxter demanded angrily, his fur standing on end "All that freaking Mar crap. Why does it always gotta be Jak?"

"This... this was not the machine's original purpose to be completely honest." If the statue could have shrugged, it would have. A low sigh echoed through the chamber, "This world... it was never actually meant to survive like it did."

"Wait, what?" Daxter was the first of many to voice their confusion, "What do you mean we weren't supposed to survive?"

"It's complicated." The Precursor explained, "Originally your planet was meant to be nothing more than a power source. It was just before the first Schism." He paused, as if contemplating what to say next, "We were all so foolish, and we made so many terrible mistakes. It's hard to believe that at one time, we were the most powerful beings in the galaxy. Do you know why?"

"Why?" It was Jak that humored the question.

"Because we had balance. We were among the first living creatures, born of Light and Dark Eco, and we were gifted with the ability to manipulate them at will.

Time passed, and we began to experiment. We traveled the stars, discovered many wondrous and beautiful things... then we decided that we wanted to create our _own _wondrous and beautiful things. But we needed more power to do _that..._ So we found a hollow, dead planet, and began twisting it to our needs. We'd manipulate the Eco — as we believed was our right — and over time the power would build and eventually expand. We'd create a machine that was able to harvest and control that energy... the planet would be destroyed, but that hardly mattered to us."

"That was it? All you wanted was more power? You didn't actually know what you wanted to do with it?" Damas questioned, "Where did you think that would lead you? Power without purpose is a sword without a shield."

"Like I said... we were foolish. The only defense I have is that it seemed like a good idea at the time." He muttered sadly. "During our tests, we found a way to break down the Light Eco, which lead to the creation of the four basic types as you know them today. It was an amazing discovery for us, and we immediately started using these new types of Eco in brand new ways! That's when things slowly started to go wrong.

Some Precursors figured that if Light Eco was so special and powerful on it's own, what about Dark? What secrets would it hold?"

"The Dark Makers." Jak assumed.

"Eventually, yes. A rift formed among us. Half of us believed that Light Eco was pure, and the only thing capable of giving life, while the other half saw the potential that Dark Eco had in giving us unrestrained power. Our experiments grew more... questionable. We began using ourselves as test subjects. Both sides—Light and Dark—lost something to that blind ambition. We were no longer able to control Eco indiscriminately...

Eventually we became far too different and could no longer stand the sight of one another. War broke out.

Meanwhile, due to the addition of the new types of Eco, the planet continued to change and grow. It was of little consequence at the time to either side, as we were too busy siphoning the excess energy to kill each other off. Then someone got the brilliant idea to alter our as of yet incomplete machine, the one created to harness our power source, and turn it on the Dark Makers. So we did... but in our desperation we refused to acknowledge one glaring truth... the machine was built to manipulate _all_ types of Eco."

Jak's clouded eyes widened as he was hit with sudden realization, "You were just _channelers_."

"Yes."

"And you couldn't effectively channel Dark Eco anymore due to your experiments."

"Correct. We could still handle comparatively small amounts, but it was nowhere near enough to create the necessary conduit we needed for the machine... and as you already know, Eco can be extremely volatile. Sloppiness can lead to unexpected and unintended consequences."

"You're telling me!" Daxter rolled his eyes and loud out a loud, exasperated groan.

"Not only did it blow up in our faces, destroying the vast majority of both sides mind you, it created the first tear in the fabric of time and space — the first Schism — which gave birth to the first parallel universe. Then that parallel universe lead to another, which lead to another..."

"That's how we have alternate time-lines... it's why there are differences between the events of this world, and mine." Damas concluded.

"Yes. As time went on, each choice — big _or_ small — could lead to an entirely new time stream. Paradoxes became a very real threat, but it also allowed us to predict possible futures."

"None of this answers the original questions..." Daxter pointed out, waving one hand dismissively, "Why the Mar thing, and why Jak?"

"I was getting to it!" The Precursor snapped through the statue, its gravely voice bouncing off the walls, "The Dark Makers retreated, and we were left with an all but depleted husk of a planet. So, we decided to resume our original plans. Let the energy rebuild, harvest it, and be on our way."

"So you learned nothing." Damas gave a snort, "Typical."

"Precursors are nothing if not consistent." The statue admitted somberly, "We settled on the surface and created the planetary defense system to protect ourselves while we waited. Then something _peculiar_ happened."

"What was that?" Jak questioned.

"Well, _you. _Early human kind, as well as all the other various lifeforms you know today_. Oops!_ We kinda, sorta, accidentally created sentient life." He paused, "Something good actually came from all that chaos and destruction.

You became more self aware. You began revering us... and well, we liked that."

Damas sighed, "Why am I not surprised?"

The Precursor cleared his throat, "Yes... well... you try being worshiped and see what it does to your ego."

"I was a King. Twice."

"But you weren't a _God_. We abandoned our plans and stabilized the Eco levels of the planet so that you and the other forms of life would flourish... And over time _that _seemed to lead to something new...

Some of you had begun to develop the ability to channel Eco. Certain bloodlines seemed to have affinities for certain types, and eventually, the greatest channelers among you would become revered Sages. We were surprised to discover that as our powers continued to degrade, yours only seemed to grow; and the _way_ you channeled was so unique! It gave you vastly different abilities from our own...  
At first we didn't think any of your species was capable of channeling more than one type, but once again you set out to prove us wrong."

"Mar." Damas mused.

"Mar's decedent." The Precursor corrected, "Your decedent's decedent, if you will. Mar was not the first. He was simply the first to be remembered.

Many, many years passed, and several of our kind decided it was time to move on... we'd become fearful that our continued presence would attract the remaining Dark makers to what was now essentially _your_ planet. In the end I suppose that didn't really matter... I suspect many of them are long dead, and the Dark Makers returned anyway.

Those of us that stayed behind grew attached to all the people of this world, especially the Mar bloodline. Since our own abilities had diminished so greatly, we _may_ have pushed them along to further greatness. Predicting possible futures showed us that his bloodline would be the most likely one to produce the heroes needed to save the world in generations to come."

"Ok, so you _did _know this would happen?" Daxter prodded impatiently.

"No. We only knew that it was a vague possibility. We decided to create a great many contingency plans just in case."

"But... why's it always gotta be _Jak_?"

The Precursor statue grew quiet, "Because he's the only one who can."

"I hate that freaking answer!"

"He had the best potential to reach true balance... but he needed a little push to achieve it."

"A little push? You call _that _a little push? _That's_ _not fair!"_ Daxter roared, "You guys are the ones that screwed everything up! The Dark makers are _your fault._ Erol is _your fault. Everything is your fault! _You let him... you let him suffer so that he could fix _your_ mistakes!_"_

The statue's glow dimmed slightly, "Yes."

"I... I can't..." Daxter was grabbing his head with both hands now, his small, worn out frame shaking with rage, "I was right. You're all useless."

"Yes."

"Just shut up!"

The Eco infused youth sighed, and slowly reached up to pull his friend off his shoulder. He walked over to Keira, and handed the ottsel over to her.

Daxter looked confused, "Jak?"

"Thanks Dax." Jak had a sad half smile on his face, "I'll take it from here, ok?" He turned back to the Precursor Statue.

"I'm sorry, Jak." It mumbled deeply, "I really am."

"Save it." Jak replied, "I have one more question."

"Yes?"

"What... what did you do to me? Back in the temple when you gave me my channeling back. It's... _I'm_ not the same." Jak licked his lips nervously, "It took me a while to notice it... I thought it was just the Dark Eco messing with my brain. I mean... I've been pretty messed up since the prison... but now I know something is different. I was never able to channel different kinds of Eco at the same time..."

"That's not entirely true. Ever since we gave you the Light Eco, you've been subconsciously channeling two types at the same time. That's the gift of balance."

"You know what I mean." Jak accused, eyes flashing dangerously, "I wasn't anywhere near this strong before, and I wasn't this sensitive to Eco either..." He overturned his arms, and narrowed his eyes on the purple veins that were spreading beneath his skin, "I should already be dead. I don't care _how_ talented I was with channeling before... everything. After all the Eco I've absorbed and all the stuff that's been happening... I shouldn't keep recovering. I should be dead."

"That is true."

"So what did you do?"

"I could sense the corruption in you... and I knew that what Erol had done, what the Dark Makers had _made _him do to you... though the methods were far more crude, it was essentially same thing that they did to themselves.

But you are _not_ a Precursor. Like I mentioned before, the way your bodies channel is completely different than ours. I knew that you would never make it without a boost, so to speak, so... well... I manipulated your natural affinity for Eco so that it might help keep you alive longer, as well as give you the necessary abilities to use the machine when the time came."

"You screwed with my body again... like with the experiments and the Light Eco."

"Yes and no. When we gave you the Light Eco, we stabilized you. You would have succumbed to the Dark Eco had we not. Balance was necessary... but the corruption has destroyed that balance. You were doomed the moment Erol used the Eco rods to force a shift within you. At that point, the only thing I could do was buy you more time by changing the way your body reacts to Eco. Your sensitivity is a combination of that, and your current, half transformed state."

"So it _is _the Eco that's keeping me alive." Jak's voice was shallow, and he absentmindedly scratched at one of his wrists, "I figured."

"For the moment. It will not last much longer."

Jak stood in silence for a moment, his face eerily emotionless, "Am I even still human?"

"What? Yes! of course you are!" The Precursor sounded as if Jak had just asked something incredibly stupid, "Jak, listen... The Dark Makers are still Precursors. Vin still has a soul. Daxter is the same person he ever was, despite his physical form... and you... you are damaged, and twisted. But you are certainly still human."

Jak took a deep breath and closed his eyes, tilting his head back before exhaling through his nose. A few, colorful wisps danced around in the air around him, and he raised a hand to brush against one of the Light ones. It fizzled away as the Eco was absorbed, "I lied. I have one more question."

"We don't have much time left, Jak." The Precursor calmly reminded him, "Not for your world... or either of us."

"I know. It's just something I've been wondering for a while now..."

"Alright."

"The Eco... it's alive, isn't it? All of that Eco down there, and all of the Eco that flows through the planet..."

This question seemed to startle several members of his group, the other channelers in particular.

"Not in the same sense that you or I are."

"That's not not really an answer."

"It's the essence of life itself."

"You don't really know do you?"

"No. I suppose I don't..."

"It's been running out."

"It has. The recent, rapid expansion of your species has taken it's toll. Your technology and development has been hard on this world, disrupting the natural flow and cycle." He paused for a moment, then sighed, "Not that I can truly judge you. We misused our Eco with a reckless abandon as well. Though, if all goes according to plan here, your planet will have a massive influx of energy that will be more than enough to revitalize it... and over time, it could begin to recycle again and be self sustaining."

Jak hummed quietly to himself before opening his eyes and lowering his gaze, "What do I need to do?"


	23. Chapter 22 (Part 1)

**Authors note: **Hello all. I know it's been several months. I've had a very stressful summer in real life that has frustratingly left me with very little time to work on my fanfictions. Those who follow my tumblr already know what's been happening, and if you care for a more detailed explanation, you can find it there.

This chapter has been quite a challenge for me to write. I've scrapped it once or twice already, unsure on how I feel about it. I've officially decided to split it in two, because it was becoming unmanageably long. I know I promised this would be the last, but sorry, there will be one more after this.

I'm eager to get it posted, so I'll skip my usual acknowledgements... just know that I appreciate each and every one of you, and your reviews/offers of support have kept me going on this. The next part is nearly done as well, and will be posted as soon as possible. My wedding is less than two weeks away now, so yay, no more distractions with that at least!

Anyway. I hope you all enjoy. Sorry about the ridiculously long wait. (Also, this chapter has NOT been proofread, because I was pretty antsy to get it up. Sorry for any weird grammar errors!)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

* * *

Jak sat at the edge of the platform, knees pulled up and arms wrapped around his legs. His head was tucked so that he could squint his eyes and look down at the thick, oozing pool of Eco below them. He'd removed his armor completely, and was currently resting, awaiting further instruction while the Precursor did it's best to explain his comrade's roles from across the ever weakening barrier between their worlds.

From what the half transformed youth had gathered so far, a handful of his friends were going to be doing something or other on the computer consoles, activating the flow of certain kinds of Eco... in all honesty he wasn't paying as much attention as he probably should have. He could only really just make out the Oracle's rumbling voice from this distance, but was tuning out the actual words. His task hadn't been really revealed quite yet, other than the fact that he'd be channeling… obviously. After all, it was pretty much the only reason he was there, wasn't it?

Normally he'd be curious, but at the moment he was just too tired to care how it was all going to work… everything they'd fought toward and dealt with in the last two weeks had led to this moment, and now he was just empty and exhausted, and very relieved to be at the end of this particular adventure. He was _done…_ In more ways than one, he supposed.

"Yeesh… hard to believe a couple hours ago we were all freezing our junk off. Now we're in a freaking sauna… Did you know that Percursors sweat, even with the fur? Because they do. _It's awful_. Guess that's better than panting like a stupid crocadog though." Soft footsteps padded along to a stop just behind Jak, and with barely a pause he felt the ottsel heave himself up to rest on his shoulder, "Whatcha lookin' at?"

It was obvious in the way that Daxter's voice wavered he was still pretty upset, and easily just as tired as anyone, but was doing his best to keep it together. Small, trembling fingers dug slightly into Jak's shoulder with one hand, while he motioned toward the discarded pile of Precursor armor with the other, "What, don't want me hanging around no more?"

"Hmm?" Jak looked lazily over to his friend, his brow crinkling in confusion for a few seconds before he realized that the ottsel was referring to his missing shoulder guard, "Oh, no… it was just getting uncomfortable, and I'm not gonna need it anymore if all I'm doing his channeling."

"Huh…" Daxter's eyes flashed with sadness as his gaze lingered for several long seconds on the coppery metal, before hastily turning away to face the rest of the cavern, "Yeah, makes sense, I guess."

The two life-long friends sat together for a while in awkward silence. Jak was almost deathly still, the only movement he made coming from his slow, deliberate breaths, and the occasional sideways glance toward his occupied shoulder. He was doing his best to ignore his discomfort and remain calm, despite the bombardment of Eco all around him.

Daxter on the other hand, was fidgeting nervously. He turned his head in every direction but Jak's, eyes settling on various objects or places in the distance before losing interest and moving on to something else. He would sometimes stiffen, and open his mouth like he wanted to say something, but would evidently decide against it and go back to his own musings.

Jak gave him a few more minutes of deliberation before letting out a sigh, "Thanks, Dax."

The ottsel gave a startled jump and turned a confused look on his friend, "Huh? For what?"

Jak shrugged, and turned to face his friend, "Staying, I guess. You don't have to, you know."

Daxter stilled, eyes scanning Jak's face for a moment before shifting away and replying quietly, "Aw, hell no. I ain't going nowhere…. No way I'm gonna let you go through… this… alone."  
"Hmm." Jak gave an appreciative grunt, "You're gonna be a good dad."

"Oh, man, I'm gonna be a nervous wreck! I'm _already_ a nervous wreck!" The admission was followed by a low whine as Daxter rubbed roughly at his eyes, "I'm not exactly dad material! I mean, can you picture me doing all that… that _fatherly bullshit stuff?_ Running around after kids and cleaning up after them and taking care of boo-boo's and runny noses and telling them stories when they're sad…"

"Yes."  
"What?"

Jak chuckled, and focused his cloudy eyes on his best friend, "Dax, after dealing with my _bullshit_ all these years, you're going to be a pro. You've got this."

"I… you really…" Daxter actually looked dumbfounded for a moment, mouth hanging open humorously as he tried to think of a retort.

"Really. You're gonna be great." Jak reiterated, his voice taking a somber tone, "Wish I could…"  
He was cut off when Samos neared, "Jak, we're all set up."

With a nod Jak abandoned his previous thoughts and shoved to his feet, brushing off his pants, "Alright. Where do you need me?"

The Sage nodded over his shoulder as an instruction to follow, and he began leading Jak toward the Oracle, "The Precursor said he wanted to speak with you."

Most of his friends were spread out and familiarizing themselves with the computers. He noticed that the monitors above the consoles each flickered with static, but were showcasing various places around the planet. Haven, the wasteland, the mountains... as well as numerous places he'd never seen or heard of.

Ashelin was hunched slightly at one end, fingers lightly brushing across the numerous buttons and as of yet inactive touchscreens. Torn was next to her, leaning stoically against the console and rubbing his jaw. His gun had been laid out beside him, and he watched with a blank face as Jak approached.

Keira was on the next machine over, and was closest on that side to the giant Precursor ring. She was kneeling down and connecting several wires from the underside of the computer to the ports that were exposed on the now armor-less spider-bot. Vin's shell, so to speak, was sprawled out next to him. Jak actually thought he looked almost fragile without the thick, durable armor protecting him, and could clearly see the gnarly damage he'd sustained earlier that caused him to hobble unevenly on his legs.

Then there was the sloping staircase like ledge that housed the teleportation ring at the high end, and the Precursor Oracle statue at the base. As he made his way forward he glanced toward the other set of consoles just beyond.

Sig was closest on the other side, and was tensely looking over the buttons at his fingertips, a look on his face that oddly suggested that he was slightly confused, but would do his best. Seem was next, eyes closed and hands twisting and moving in one of her many prayers, and Jak briefly wondered why she'd continue to ask for the boon of the Precursors when there was one actually talking to them. Old habits died hard, he supposed.

Damas was furthest away, and was leaning heavily over his console with a dark look on his face. His mouth was set in a thin line, like he'd just lost an extremely heated argument, and his fingers curled tightly over the edge of the Precursor metal. He glanced toward Jak once he heard the loud clang of approaching footsteps, and his expression softened tenderly before he forced himself to look away.

"Jak." The Precursor from another world spoke calmly, the statue's booming voice snapping the youth in question out of his slight daze, "Are you ready?"

"Just need to know what you want me to actually do."

"There are a few things you must understand, before we begin…" It was hard to make out through the artificial tone, but it sounded to Jak like the Precursor on the other end was struggling with something, "As I've said before… the machine is incomplete, and as it stands, won't work in saving your world."

"I remember."

"It wasn't meant to be used this way, so there is a very slim _chance_ it might not work at all. Still, it is our only hope at this point…"

"Okay… so are you going to get on with it or just keep repeating yourself?" Jak mumbled lowly, as he felt a pulse of pain from the corruption inside, "We're sorta running out of time here, if you haven't forgotten."

"Yes… Yes… but this is important. You need to understand..." The Precursor took a deep breath, "The only way we are going to be able to save your world — your entire dimension — is if we reprogram the machine and use it to sever the bonds that connect you to the multiverse. In doing so we run a very, very dangerous risk of ripping open the veil completely. Not only could it destroy your universe all together, it could very well take out several of your closest… er... neighbors, so to speak."

"So, instead of just us, we could literally be sacrificing other worlds for a _chance _at survival_?" _Jak hissed… he wasn't entirely sure he liked this plan so much anymore. It was one thing to take a crapshoot for themselves when they were out of options, but another entirely if their actions were going to be the destruction of… well… who knew how many lives? If asked to do the same thing when he was still newly escaped and nothing but a meatsack filled with Dark Eco and anger, he probably would have shrugged and continued without a second thought. Now? He'd had time to change, and remember who he used to be, "What are the chances, _exactly_, of that happening?"

The Precursor was silent for a few moments before answering, "I can't give you a definite answer."

"Why not?" Daxter intervened flippantly, "Aren't you supposed to be able to tell the future? _Predict possible time-lines…" _The way he mocked and bobbed his head might have made Jak laugh had the circumstances not been so dire, "You kept bragging all about that junk before."

"You don't…" The Precursor replied as quietly as the statue would allow, "We used the alternate time-lines to gauge _possible_ outcomes and events. It's all about p_otential._ There are now so very many threads to follow that even if I weren't _alone,_ there would be no way to know how things would turn out. Every choice, every difference… and with how corroded your timeline now is, and with mine being all but non-existent at this point… it's impossible. "

Jak crossed his arms and glared, "How do we _prevent_ it from happening then?"

"Well, part of that's going to depend on _you._"

"Me?"

"Now… this isn't the perfect example, and I'm highly simplifying things here, but…"

"Just get on with it!" Damas complained loudly from his post.

"Imagine your dimension as a ball. It's not, of course, but humor me." The precursor began, "This ball isn't exactly fragile… It's somewhat durable to be sure, but it _is_ vulnerable. It could be broken, or cracked, if dropped or thrown." He paused, and Jak lifted a brow at the almost childish, but admittedly effective description, "Now, that single ball is connected to several others by thin threads of string that travel through the veil. Those strings sometimes collide together and tangle… sometimes they twist and merge. Sometimes they break, and fray, and that's when a timeline differs so greatly from another that it can no longer remain connected. Sometimes one of those worlds ends, sometimes it doesn't. It's simply the way of the multiverse. It spreads on like that and continues to grow and change with the creation of each new timeline. Not every world is connected directly, but they all exist within the same, intricate web."

"Okay…"

"Now imagine that those strings _could_ be manipulated. They could be used to traverse between those worlds, despite the obvious dangers. Imagine if those strings could be pulled so tight, several snap and your ball crashes into another."

"So, you're saying that's basically what Erol did… that's how he started this mess?"

"Sort of… yes. He and the Dark Makers created a paradox. In theory, my world should have failed, the ball should have shattered and crumbled away with nothing but the frayed broken strings left behind, eventually to be replaced by a fresh, new alternate dimension."

"Is that how you're talking to us now? Through these… strings?" Jak questioned.

"Yes. Very, very carefully I might add."

"Ok… so this is relevant to what you need me to do right? I mean, it's interesting, sure, but do we really need this explanation now?"

"It is, I promise," The Precursor's tone was strong, and assuring, "You must be able to understand what _you_ are about to do."

"Which is…?"

"Once they realized what had happened, Erol and the Dark Makers were hasty in the efforts to _escape_ into. Their methods were sloppy, and now your world suffer the consequences. They ripped apart the veil." He paused, "Now… your world runs the risk of doing the same to another."

Jak's patience was running thin, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose between too fingers and closed his eyes, "So what do I need to _do_?"

"Currently, your dimension is unstable… it is, and will forever be a danger to the rest of the multiverse if it continues on as it is. We're going to reprogram the machine to completely remove your world from the web, ideally without destroying it. We're going to sever every single sting at once, and use the Eco to create a barrier, so that you will never be connected again. Then we're going to use the machine to repair the damage that has been already been done. If all goes according to plan, your world will continue to exist in it's solidarity. Alone in the void… but completely self-sustaining."

"Wait…" Jak shook his head as a single, confusing thought struck him, "So, if we go with your analogy… shouldn't your..." He drew his hand up and curled his fingers, "..._ball..._ be just as dangerous as ours? What happens if it snaps back and hits another one after we're gone?"

The Precursor hesitated before answering, "Ah, well… I wasn't sure if you'd catch onto that little detail. But yes, you are correct."

"So…?"

"There is nothing salvageable of my home-world, and it won't take much… so we are going to destroy what's left in this process. Completely. This dimension will cease to exist."

"What about you?" Surprisingly, it was Daxter that asked, "I mean, don't get me wrong Mr. High and Mighty... I don't really like you, but I don't wanna kill ya! You said Erol and the Dark makers were still there too, right? Couldn't there be others?"

It was quiet for several seconds before the Precursor answered plainly, "I'm already dying… I'm going to use the rest of my power to make sure that your world has a chance to _live_."

"How is that fair?" The ottsel slumped on Jak's shoulder meekly, "That's not fair... and what about..?"

"Life is hardly ever fair, Daxter." The statue's eyes flashed faintly as the Precursor interrupted, "You must certainly know that more than most. My world was _corrupted, _much like your friend Jak is now… and sadly, there is _nothing_ left but Dark Eco, and darkness. Without the light, it is a poison that must not be allowed to spread. These Dark Makers and myself have no place to go. We belong to this world, and nowhere else. We _will_ die with this world, as it should be." He let his words sink in for a few moments before continuing, "This isn't anything new. Innocent lives were lost in your plans to overthrow the Baron, even if it wasn't your intent. Others died for your cause in saving your world from the Dark Makers, I'm sure. Almost all of you have made that decision before, have you not? Sacrifice the few for the needs of the many."

"Then what of me?" Damas asked suddenly, taking a few steps away from his console. His expression was grim, "By that logic, I should be there as well. I should not be an exception."

"Damas?" Jak's eyes widened and he jerked his head toward the wastelander in question. Despite his own death on the horizon, he didn't want to think about the same happening to his father… even if he wasn't really _his_ father due to the whole 'being from another dimension' thing.

Several of his other comrades also voiced their objections, only to be silenced when the old King raised his hand, "I am not of this world either. I don't belong here."

The Precursor chuckled, "Yet… you are not taking someone's place. Your counterpart died long before you crossed over, correct?"

"That's a flimsy argument, even coming from you." Damas pointed out, "So did Erol and the Dark Makers. Are you saying they should take up residence here as well?"

"No. Not at all. Maybe I simply want one good thing to come of this?" The Precursor admitted, "Maybe I want one good man to survive."

"I am hardly a good man." The wastelander argued, rubbing the back of his neck, "I have done many regrettable and intolerable things in my life time. War does not allow for good men."

"Then maybe you deserve a second chance."

"You're breaking your own rules, Precursor."

"Yes, well… we _Gods _seem to do that a lot, don't we?" The statue rumbled, "If you must have a reason — a purpose — then how about this? Don't let us be forgotten."

Damas stood almost dumbfounded, with a distant look on his face. He sighed, and shook his head, "I suppose we don't have the time to continue this debate, do we?"

"You are correct." The Precursor agreed, his voice lilting as if he was happy to win the argument, "We are out of time. Jak?"

"Yeah?"

"This machine is missing the piece that would allow it to break apart and direct the Eco as we need. It has no filter, no _conduit._ Even if it had been completed, there's no way to know that the AI would have been delicate enough and sentient enough to _understand_ what needed to be done."

"So... I'm supposed to be the conduit."

"Yes."

"How?"

"By channeling." The Precursor stated calmly, "Your friend's are going to monitor the levels and output, and the machine _should_ take most of the strain… but even so…"

"It's never easy, is it?"

"You must listen carefully Jak… once we begin, you will be distantly linked through the Eco to your world — and to the _multiverse_ itself. You _will_ be will be in contact with the veil. You will feel the strings. Failure will not be an option."

Jak'a eyes widened in disbelief as he held his breath, and took a step back. A flash of fear wormed it's way across his features, at the premise of being in control of that much power, "Wait... no. I don't…"

"I believe you've done something similar before." The Precursor quickly continued on, not allowing Jak to think too hard on the prospect, "You linked through one of our artifacts to a Dark Maker bot, did you not? You remotely controlled it from a distance, through the Eco."

"Er… yeah, I guess, a long time ago…" Jak licked his lips nervously, "But that was one robot. You're talking about… There's no way I could…"

"The soothsayer, Onin, does it often on an admittedly much smaller scale. How do you think she predicts the future?"

"That's different... I can't do what she does."

"I understand that the task before you is daunting… I really do. If I could see any other way, we wouldn't be here." The statue almost sounded like it was trying to be soothing, but was failing miserably, "This is going to be the same process, just... more. The machine is going to do most of the work, it simply needs you to channel through it."

"I can't channel all of that!" Jak spat, motioning violently toward the edge of the platform and down into the abyss below, "I mean, I'm not bragging when I say that I'm _good_… I always have been. But That's… that's everything! I'm only one guy!"

"You aren't going to be channeling _everything_ Jak, simply filtering the raw Eco and sending it on it's way through the leylines. Once enough has been done it will become automatic. The danger comes from loosing control. The backlash could be catastrophic."

"You do realize who you're talking to, right?" Jak deadpanned, "I'm not exactly the poster child for calm and collected. I lose _control _practically on a daily basis."

"You're the only one who can, Jak. We've been through this." The Precursor statue's eyes flickered again, "There's another quake coming your way. We need to act now. The chamber you will need to be in is in the center of the cavern, just beyond the walk way. Once you are inside, I will be able to instruct you further... but we must begin before your world rips itself apart_._"

Jak blinked and shook his head, running his fingers through his messy, dirty hair. He paused when his palm brushed against one of his horns, a scowl tugging at his lips as he let his hand fall. This was it...

His eyes traveled toward the ottsel on his shoulder, and be briefly imagined Daxter and Tess back at the bar, and wondered what their kids were going to look like. He wondered if they'd be witty and boisterous like their dad, or sly and bubbly like their mom. He could almost see them running around Haven like they owned the place...

He had to make sure there was a Haven left standing. While he was confident he wouldn't survive this stunt, he was going to do his damnedest to make sure that Daxter and the others would. That silly little daydream couldn't become a reality if he failed.

The ottsel watched curiously as Jak's face faded to something far more neutral. The pulse of emotion that danced across his friend's eyes sent a shiver down his spine, and for the first time since they met he found himself at a loss when it came to what Jak was actually feeling, "Whatcha thinking about, pal?"

Jak swallowed, and shook his head, "Nothing. Just..." He turned away and looked back toward the Oracle, a small crack breaking his voice, "This is it, I guess. No pressure, right?"

"Jak...? Hold on..."

"Hey, Dax," Jak smiled and continued on as if he hadn't heard the ottsel speak, "Why don't you, uh, go help Keira?"

"What? No, I'm staying right..."

"Or you could go with Damas, he looks like he needs a hand."

"Jak, what are you talking about, I told you I was staying right here!"

"Listen, Dax..."

"No! Stop it, why the hell are you..?"

Jak growled as threateningly as he could muster, though even he could tell that it fell flat as he snatched the ottsel off his shoulder with both hands. He was careful not to be too rough, "You're just gonna get in the way, ok? I'm not going to be able to concentrate if you're in there with me."

"That's a great big bucket of yakkow piss!" Daxter struggled in his friends grasp, and smacked feebly at the back of his hand, "You are so full of shit, and don't even act like..."

"Daxter _please!" _Jak groaned, turning his foggy eyes up to find Keira's wistful gaze. He grimaced, and pleaded with her silently.

Her eyes teared up, but she seemed to understand his motives, and she shuffled forward. Several seconds later was taking the squirming ottsel into her own arms, "Come on, Daxter."

The half transformed youth took a deep breath and gave her a thankful grunt. For a moment he seemed to struggle with his own thoughts, standing and staring at her in complete loss before he closed his eyes and leaned forward so that he could murmur quietly in her ear, "Thanks, Keira. "

She hesitated before giving a single nod, and he could tell by the look on her face that she was resisting the urge to cry. His heart sank, and he brushed his fingers across her cheek. He cocked his head and gave her a small, sad smile, only to be happy when she instinctively scanned his face to read what he couldn't bring himself to say out loud.

"Hey!" Daxter watched helplessly as his friend shuffled away, craning his own neck to keep him in sight as the mechanic turned away and back toward the consoles, "Keira, stop!"

Jak took one last chance to look toward Damas, who was standing rigid with Sig at his side. The taller wastelander had a hand on his friend's shoulder, and was mumbling something that the Eco infused warrior couldn't make out. Damas looked almost livid, with his fingers curled into tight fists at his side, and brows fixed in a harsh glare, but was obviously trying his best to remain composed. He turned his neck just enough to follow Jak's stride, refusing to take his eyes off the youth.

Jak smirked in his direction, and called out, "It's a good day to die."

Damas looked shocked at first, but a sense of understanding slowly crawled across his features.  
Without another word Jak darted across the grated walkway at a jog, with Samos following closely behind. The Sage was explaining between panting breaths that he'd be using one of the computers on the outside of domed room to help monitor Jak's progress, as well as help direct the speed at witch the Eco would flow. Jak was only half listening, and quickly found himself standing outside the small, round chamber that he had a feeling would serve as his tomb.

"Are you ready, my boy?" Samos asked quietly, his voice weak and weary.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Jak could feel himself tremble slightly, and he did his best to hide the evidence of his fear. His mind began to scramble, and he internally reminded himself that he had to stay calm and in control. He had to stay focused.

He wanted Daxter. He didn't want to do this alone... He needed that familiar weight on his shoulder to ground him, and was mad at himself for sending the ottsel away, then even angrier with himself at being so selfish... How could he put his best friend in danger? How could he ask his best friend to stand by helplessly and watch what would no doubt be a painful process?

A deep frown tugged at the corners of his lips, and he scratched absentmindedly at his wrists. He felt the Sage's fingers tap against his forearm, and brushed them off as avoided meeting the old man's gaze, "Let's just get this over with."

"I'm sorry, for everything I did." Samos admitted quietly, "I'm... sorry."

Jak stiffened, "It's done. It doesn't... it _really_ doesn't matter anymore."

He was startled when Samos gripped his wrist and yanked, forcing him to look down on his adoptive caretaker, "Ack... what?"

The Sage's eyes flicked back and forth for a few seconds like they were reading words in a book, and Jak momentarily panicked as he did his best to make his face as blank as possible. He didn't need or want the green skinned Sage to know he was feeling sorry for himself. He didn't want the Sage to know that he was scared.

Samos' eyes widened slightly as he caught on to what Jak was trying and failing to hide, "Jak..."

Yanking his arm away, Jak backed up a few feet, "I... I'm good, Samos. We're good. Just make sure everyone else gets out."

"Of... of course." The Sage's shoulders slumped, and his half downtrodden eyes turned toward the floor, "We... we're here, Jak. All of us. You aren't alone."

Jak felt like a dam of relief broke somewhere inside, "Yeah... Thanks, Samos." He gave himself a moment to steel his nerves before cocking his head toward the chamber, "Come on, lets get started."

Samos only nodded, and begrudgingly followed his charge into the small, metal room.

Wires and tubes circled what looked like an Eco vent in mass, spiraling up the walls and out the ceiling into the darkness beyond. Faintly flashing lights of every color blinked, illuminating the room in a pulsing rainbow that contrasted against the handful of Eco wisps that gently drifted around chamber in their endless wandering.

Both channelers could feel the strong tingle of energy from below, but it was Jak that first noticed the clear, glass like rods that broke from the walls in various, messy clusters. He clutched almost defensively at his chest, and closed his eyes. A muddy flashback filled his mind, and he had to mentally remind himself that, no, he wasn't still inside the Terraformer, strapped down to that cold, metal table, "Shit..."

"What's wrong, Jak?" Samos questioned.

They were interrupted before he could get his answer as the Precursor's actual, high pitched voice broke through a speaker nestled in one of the walls, echoing faintly throughout the chamber in a stark contrast to the deeper, more gravely one of the Oracle statue it had been using, "Are you ready?"

"Those look like the..." Jak swallowed, and slowly opened his eyes, "Those are the same glass things that Erol used to..."

"They are the same _type_ of instrument, yes." The Precursor explained with a matter of fact tone, "The Dark Makers themselves used similar methods to become what they are... though the process for them was far less crude."

"I'm not... What am I going to have to... they aren't going to be inside me again, right?"

"No!" The Precursor's disembodied voice assured, "No. They are hollow light Eco crystals. They were refined and tempered into the rods you see, and were created to absorb filtered Eco from the conduit. The ones that Erol and the Dark Makers used to infect you were heavily altered in a way they were never meant to be. You are going to be using these to manipulate the machine, Jak. Nothing more."

"Alright... ok." Jak stretched his shoulders and fought back the stinging, angry surge of Dark Eco that had been bubbling to the surface in response to his rapidly rising fear, "Ok... what do I do?"

"Once we activate the machine, it will begin to harness the Eco from your planet's core. We'll start by _slowly_ flooding the room with the Light Eco, which you will be separating into the four basic elements, and directing through the appropriate glass rods. The Dark Eco will be added once we have a steady stream of all the other types."

"I really can't do that..."

"Yes you can. This is the exact reason why I altered your capabilities, Jak. Once we begin and once you get the hang of the necessary method of channeling, it will simply be a matter of letting it flow through you, and into crystals. Once the links are made, it will be automatic. Your friends will be monitoring your progress, and tasked with making sure the machine distills and directs the Eco properly.

The machine will do the work, but you will in a sense be it's conductor. This is why you must be careful. You are a living, breathing being, with a remarkably strong spirit. Your willpower itself may have the power to override the programming, and in turn, the efforts of your friends. Do not loose focus! If you stay on task, then all should work as planned. The eco should be directed into the Leylines."

"What are Leylines? You keep saying that..."

The Precursor chuckled, "The _strings."_

_"__Ah."_

_"__O_nce enough energy has been built we will sever the ties. The surge of power that will be sent through the veil and into my world should be enough to destroy it, once and for all, and ensure that we don't put any other dimensions at risk."

"And this world'll be saved, just like that?"

"It should be." The Precursor answered, "Again, that depends on you. If you don't falter, and don't do anything that could interfere with the new programming, this will create a new Schism, and the backlash of power should reinvigorate your dimension. It will be an upheaval to be sure, but recovery shouldn't take too much time. Your world will live, and it will have enough Eco and energy to sustain itself until it begins to recycle once again."

"And everyone else? Daxter, Keira and the others?"

"Things will certainly be different. But as long as things go according to plan, they will live on, their fates in their own hands. It's important to remember that if anything were to happen to endanger this dimension in the future, it will have _no_ support from the multiverse... no safety net. Care must be taken, because this is essentially your last chance." He paused as if in consideration of something, "Though, who knows, maybe your world will give birth to a separate multiverse of it's own, or maybe something completely different will happen. Something entirely brand new. The idea of that is both encouraging, and exciting. There could be numerous unexpected side effects to what we are trying to accomplish... I only wish I could be around to witness it."

"And what is going to happen to Jak during all of this?" Samos asked quietly, though it was obvious by the look on his face that he already knew the answer, "What's going to happen after?"

The silence that filled the chamber was entirely too telling.

"I... see." Samos frowned, "There's nothing we can..?"

"No. If Erol hadn't corrupted his light Eco, there may have been a chance. But now? The balance is gone. The machine will most likely draw out whatever is left of his Light and Dark Eco... and if by some chance it didn't, the twisted Dark Eco inside him would devour what is left of the Light, and kill him." There was a loud sigh that filled the chamber with a tense unease, "I am truly sorry. If there was something I could do from here... if I could think of anything at all, I would do it without hesitation. It would take a very real _miracle _at this point to change his fate."

Jak glanced down at his childhood mentor and found himself slightly shocked at just how old and worn down the man looked. Deep wrinkles creased his brow, and crows feet pulled at the corner of his eyes beneath his glasses. He placed a palm on his shoulder and gave a light squeeze, "It's fine, Samos. If it means protecting Daxter and Keira... If it means they're gonna be safe..."

Samos nodded, "Yes... I know."

"That's good enough for me." Jak hunched forward tiredly, and cracked his fingers in anticipation, "Time to save the world one last time."

"I suppose it is." The Sage mumbled, giving the youth one last look over before backing out of the chamber. He paused at the doorway and wondered if there was anything else he could say... anything that _needed_ to be said. He could only think of one thing, "Thank you, Jak."

The boy he raised shrugged, and flashed his usual, overconfident smirk. This time, however, there was a sense of urgency and fear behind it.

Samos moved out of sight, no doubt to stand at the console just outside. A few seconds later, there was a click, and a thin, light blue force field shifted into existence across the door. The Sage leaned over to check on his charge one last time before stating, "I'm going to flip the switch."

Jak nodded, and tensed as he sensed the buildup of energy beneath his feet. For a split second he almost panicked, the over abundance of power bombarding his senses, but he forced himself to remember why he was there.

He watched in amazement as the Eco wisps in the room stilled for several seconds, then began to circle him. He could feel their small prickles of power as the ambient Eco in the immediate surroundings grew, and he found himself closing his eyes to get a better sense of the energy. Time seemed to slow, and finally, all at once, he found himself surrounded by the warm, familiar blanket of Light Eco. It felt like it was pulling him into it's embrace, and he wanted nothing more than to give in and let it take him. His Dark Eco roared to life in pain and rage, but he shoved it deep inside and began to absorb what he could.

"Jak... Ja... Can yo... hear me?" Samos's voice was thick with static as it filled the chamber, and at first Jak only wanted to ignore it. He was so tired, and this Light Eco was so pure. It felt so soothing to all his aches and pains. He could transform and be lost to the world... "Jak!"

The Sage's sharp snap tore Jak from his daze, and the youth found himself stumbling forward. He pressed one hand against the wall in front of him, "Y...yeah?"

There was an audible sigh, and Jak could have sworn he heard Samos _thank the precursors... _Which he thought was just as silly as Seem's praying, considering their circumstances. He quickly realized he was drifting off again, and he forced his eyes open, "Sorry... I'm here. Just... give me a second to get used to this..."

"The Precursor says he won't be able to speak to you while the machine is running, alright?"

"Yeah. Ok." Jak mumbled, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, "Ok... what's next? What do I need to do?"

"I'm going to have the others open their lines slowly. The Precursor says the rods should begin to glow with whatever color Eco they need, you only have to direct the flow in the correct direction. Once it's established, you should be able to_ split _the Eco, you understand?"

"No... not really. But I'll... ugh... I'll figure it out." Jak coughed, suddenly feeling nauseous as his body began to reject the massive amount of energy building inside. His eyelids felt heavy, and a surge of power rippled across his skin, leaving faint goosebumps in it's wake, "Ok, yeah, gotta do this quick, Samos. I haven't started channeling this yet and it's... got to let this... to let it go..."

"Right. Hold on tight, my boy."

And all at once Jak felt like the world around him shifted in it's entirety, the Eco both inside, and surrounding him was vying for escape. He gasped out a weak cry, but managed to stay on his feet. Try as he might, he couldn't keep his eyes open as he felt the currents of energy tugging in various directions, begging for an outlet. How was he supposed to separate them, and send them on their way?

Red.

It was sudden. He felt it, rather than saw it... several crystal clusters around the dome pulsed with red light, and he reacted instinctively, directing a wave of thick, hot energy toward the channels that were opening up around him. His eyes were still sealed shut, but he could still see the pathways painted across his mind.

"That's it!" Samos's voice boomed, and he barely made out the Sage yelling something more back at his friends. He thought someone replied, but he couldn't tell who it was so he supposed he could have imagined it.

He always thought Red Eco felt odd. It gave him power, and endurance. It put him on edge, and made his skin itch like it was sunburned. He felt like he could punch a hole clean through a stone wall if he really, really wanted to... and just as he was getting reacquainted, he felt it fade to the background. It became a dull hum to his senses.

Then he found himself suddenly feeling the fun, energetic crackle of Blue Eco, and he couldn't help but smile as he huffed with exertion. Like the Red Eco, it had it's place, and he somehow knew just where to put it. He moved deliberately, as more dancing colors filled his mind.

His body had begun to go numb, which he thought might have been a blessing, because it certainly made it easier to ignore the corruption that had begun to creep agonizingly slow throughout the rest of his body.

Yellow was next, and it flashed it's way like wildfire through the Light Eco and surged through him. Again, he found himself pulling it through and on it's designated route. It burned his fingertips, and smelled like embers...

The green Eco actually seemed to hit him the hardest. It never did play nice with his Dark Eco. Still, it gave him a feeling of nostalgia, like an old friend, and he did his best to concentrate on how his instincts were telling him to move the power through the chamber, and to the appropriate crystals.

The numbness in his body began to encroach on his mind, and he found himself struggling to stay completely consciously aware. But the soothing rhythm of his own channeling soon caused him to lull into a deep trance, and he wondered briefly if he'd ever wake up again.  
***

"Whooaaa," Vin's spider-bot grew rigid as he began interpreting the influx of incoming data, and translating it for his friends, "Holy... wow. That's a power surge all right!"

"You'll have to activate the Dark Eco next, and then immediately turn on the Schism Engine. Otherwise he will most assuredly be overwhelmed — regardless of how skillfully he channels — He is a man, doing the task meant for a machine. " The Precursor instructed, "Opening up the Leylines all at once will no doubt incite a violent reaction between our two worlds, but as long as he acts in haste and remains in control, this should work."

"And if he doesn't?" Torn asked, one brow raised in doubt. He had been instructed and tasked with monitoring the levels of yellow Eco that were being released, not that he really understood what was really going on. He only knew what numbers meant there was an issue because the Precursor had told them all what to look out for.

"Boom."

"Wonderful." The KG commander rolled his eyes. Torn couldn't help the doubts that plagued his mind considering his recent skirmish with the hot-headed warrior, and he absentmindedly brought one hand up to rub his pain laced jaw. He glanced up at his monitor, where the main display was currently showing an active volcano. Several markers had appeared, apparently indicating where old Yellow Eco sources were reactivating. One corner of his screen housed a small frame that was focused on Jak inside the conduit chamber.

Every monitor housed an identical layout. Jak was currently hovering a few inches off the ground, with swirling waves of Light Eco spiraling in wide arcs around his nearly motionless form. As the strands of energy flowed, the bright streams of pure white would melt away into a vibrant splash of color, which would dance around their host before pulling away and into their respective crystals. Every so often Jak would wince, or his frame would stutter, but he seemed to recover relatively quickly and the channeling would continue uninterrupted.

Damas looked down at his own readings. He was in charge of the flow of Dark Eco... which he deeply felt was some kind of disgustingly cruel joke. It was the Dark Eco that had twisted his son into the broken, angry young man that now fought so valiantly to save a world he wasn't entirely convinced deserved such loyalty or sacrifice.

"Damas" The Precursor instructed, "We must activate the Dark Eco now."

The wastelander stood in silence for a few seconds before resting his hands on the control panel in front of him. His head hung low between hunched shoulders as he looked down at the buttons in disgust. He knew the urgency of the situation. He understood having to make sacrifices for the greater good. He was a relatively logical man. But this was personal. This was worse than loosing him as a child. This was knowingly sentencing him to what would undoubtedly be his last moments.

He knew there was no other way.

Admitting that didn't make it feel any less devastating.

"I certainly hope this is all worth it." His fingers shook as he stroked them across the touchscreen.

He couldn't watch as the numbers fluttered across the screen, instead, he focused his gaze on the monitor above him. If his son was going to die as a sacrifice, and if he was going to have a part in it, he would at least have the respect to watch until the end. Any warrior in Spargus would get the same treatment. That's what Jak — Mar — deserved.

Jak's surroundings suddenly erupted in a flash of searing, purple electricity that clashed savagely against the Light Eco. The youth in the center jerked forward with a silent cry, as several strong blots wracked against his frame, and he stumbled to one knee. His eyelids flew open, and Damas frowned as he watched the glowing white of the Light Eco within gave way to the inky, deep blackness that was the Dark.

"Now! You have to activate it now so that he has an outlet!"

Vin hastily did as he was told, and within seconds the gigantic, timeworn machine slowly awoke from it's ancient slumber. The cavern walls themselves began to groan in protest, as deeply embedded gears and belts began to shift and break away the rock surrounding them. The copper colored tubes that were nestled in the grooves they'd used to reach the platform filled with color, and some even began to move at an excruciatingly slow pace, drilling their way down toward the center of their planet.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Sig yelled above the deafening noise, both hands covering his ears. It appeared as if the Precursor either couldn't hear him, or didn't want to answer. Just as he was about to persist, the movement stopped, and the cavern erupted in a blindingly bright flash of light as several thick columns of Eco erupted from the swirling mass below and surged skyward, slicing through the darkness above like a knife.

One of the monitors beeped loudly, and the groups attention was drawn toward the grainy image splayed across it's surface.

Snowy mountain came into focus just as the beams of Eco violently broke through it's summit, shooting toward the corroded sky above. Just as the streams energy seemed to reach the planet's atmosphere they exploded like massive fireworks, sending thousands of brilliantly colored strands in every direction, and filling the sky with bright, misty tendrils of colorful light.

"Holy hell..." Sig mumbled, pulling his hands from his ears, though his eyes stayed glued to the screen, "Ain't that something..."

"It's working." The Precursor breathed, the relief in his voice evident even through the rumble of the Oracle's filter. "Now as long as..."

"Jak!" Daxter's high pitched cry cut through the awe and dragged everyone back to their senses. Every set of eyes shifted to watch the monitors as the youth inside the machine fell to his knees, hands gripping his head tightly in pain. Dark, vein's pulsed beneath his skin as the corruption crept, and a mass of stuttering purple bolts bounced haphazardly between him and the floor. His horns were longer, and nails sharper, but he wasn't fully transforming. There was a strange haze of energy around him, and numerous wisps swirled around his hunched, trembling form. Though it was a little difficult to make out on the screens, it became evident that a dark stream of blood was dribbling from his nose and dripping to the floor below.

That's when the world around them began to shake. Several strong tremors had the group swaying on their feet, clinging to the consoles in front of them for support. A few seconds passed before the chaos quickly died town to a slight, every present tremble.

"No!" The Precursor's panic was all too obvious, even from the deep, monotonous voice of the statue he was speaking through, "Samos, stop him! Don't let him reach out! He's loosing his focus! Some— wait... how are you? No! Sto..."

There was the sound of a scuffle from the oracle, followed by a loud crack. It's eyes suddenly dimmed and faded.

"Precursor?" Damas questioned. He quickly glanced toward the statue, "Precursor? What happened?" When his questions went unanswered he turned his gaze across the bridge toward the scrambling Green Eco Sage and yelled, "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't..." Samos's voice came through clear enough on the consoles just as he dropped to his knees, trying desperately to gain his charge's attention through the force field. "He's not responding... he's still connected! There's too much, and it's overwhelming him — Jak! Jak listen to me! I know you're confused, but you have to — Eyes on me, my boy! Come on!"

There was no recognition from the tormented youth, which prompted Samos to slam his palm against the metal surrounding the shielded doorway in front of him, "You've got a job to do, Jak. First, save the world! Then we can end this madness!"

Jak suddenly jerked forward, bringing one hand out to catch himself while the other remained planted in his hair, "First... save the world. Samos... you said that..."

"That's right..." Samos soothed... only to be dismayed when the boy in front of him began shaking his head from side to side.

"First... save the world. Said that before..." Jak mumbled again, eyes still clenched tightly shut, "You said... you told him... _this is madness_..."

"Jak..." The Sage's eyebrows rose questionably, "What are you..?"

Hisses filled the air as several tears suddenly broke the barrier between worlds, opening wide enough to reveal what should have been nothing but cold darkness beyond.

So when a familiar, high pitched whine echoed through the breaches, everyone's eyes went wide and immediately shifted to the nearest rupture, "_Oh great! I get to help the guy who turned me into a furball destroy the only person who can turn me back!_"

"What the..?" Torn began, only to be interrupted by an equally high pitched cry from this side of the breach.

"Is... is that _me!?"_ Daxter struggled in Keira's grasp, leaning forward to glare into the Tear to his left, "Wait... Wait I remember this!"

_An orange, furry ottsel stood on the edge of a messy, hastily made bridge of collected wood and metal, head tilted up toward the Sage above him. He glared, just as the boy beside him inhaled guiltily and offered an uneasy shrug._

_A slightly younger Green Eco Sage hovered before them, shaking his head wearily as he let gravity take him beneath the platform, and toward the giant, half rigged Precursor Statue behind them. He held out his hands, and unleashed a wave of stored green Eco, "First, save the world! Then we'll try to convince Gol to help Daxter."_

"What the hell is this?" Damas demanded, edging closer to one of the tears. He had quickly realized that each one held the same vision, viewed from a completely different angle, "How is this possible?"

"It's like when we saw you in the temple." Sig stated numbly, not bothering to hide the confusion in his voice or features, "When you first came through, we could see you... like this, only in your world."

"This already happened!" Daxter screeched, "This is... this is the citadel!" 

* * *

**Authors note: ** Again, sorry for the split. I hope this will hold you off until the next chapter. Feel free to review and critique if you so desire!


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